| | | Here’s how Zentek Ltd. and Yingfu Li are related — and what each brings to their collaboration.
?? Who is Yingfu Li - Yingfu Li is a professor in the Department of Biochemistry & Biomedical Sciences at McMaster University. NCSU Chemistry+2McMaster Chemistry+2
- He leads the “Li Lab,” a research group specializing in “functional nucleic acids” (DNA/RNA aptamers and DNAzymes) — molecules that can bind or catalyze reactions, useful for diagnostics and therapeutics. Yingfu Li Lab+2McMaster Chemistry+2
?? What is Zentek - Zentek is a Canadian technology-development and commercialization company. Among other technologies, it works on “aptamer-based” detection & therapeutic platforms by partnering with academic labs. Zentek Ltd.+2Zentek Ltd.+2
- The company holds, via license, global-exclusive commercialization rights for certain aptamer/DNAzyme technologies developed at McMaster. Zentek Ltd.+2Zentek Ltd.+2
?? What their relationship is - In 2021 (June 11), McMaster granted Zentek a 20-year worldwide exclusive license to use and commercialize certain aptamer-based detection technologies developed by the Li Lab. Zentek Ltd.+2Zentek Ltd.+2
- The technology from Dr. Li’s lab was originally aimed at rapid detection of pathogens (like SARS-CoV-2), using aptamers in saliva-based tests. Zentek Ltd.+2Newswire+2
- Over time the collaboration expanded: the licensed scope was broadened to include all aptamer and DNAzyme uses — not just diagnostics, but also therapeutics, neutralization agents, and other applications, beyond SARS-CoV-2. Zentek Ltd.+2Zentek Ltd.+2
- In 2023 Zentek announced that Dr. Li’s team had developed a new “aptamer technology platform” which dramatically increases aptamer binding affinity (reportedly 30–250 × higher) — this platform is now part of Zentek’s development pipeline. Zentek Ltd.+2Zentek Ltd.+2
- As part of this collaboration, Dr. Li is formally on the advisory board of a subsidiary of Zentek that owns global licensing rights to the aptamer/DNAzyme platform. Newswire+2Zentek Ltd.+2
?? What this means functionally - Basically, Zentek acts as the commercialization partner for technologies developed in the Li Lab. Zentek invests (or supports) the development, handles licensing, and works toward bringing aptamer-based diagnostics or therapeutics to market.
- Yingfu Li and his lab provide the scientific and technological innovation — they research and engineer the aptamers/DNAzymes, refine their performance (binding affinity, specificity), and test them (in vitro and in vivo).
- The relationship is more of a research-to-commercialization partnership / license agreement, rather than Li being an employee of Zentek.
If you want — I can pull up a timeline of major announcements showing how this relationship evolved (date of license, key technologies developed, clinical/preclinical milestones). Do you want me to build that timeline for you now?
You said:
pull up a timeline of major announcements showing how this relationship evolved
ChatGPT said:
Here’s a timeline of major public announcements that show how the relationship between Zentek Ltd. and Yingfu Li (via his lab at McMaster University) has evolved — from initial licensing for COVID-19 detection to a broader aptamer/DNAzyme platform with therapeutic ambitions and new applications.
?? Timeline of Key Milestones
DateWhat happened / Announcement|
| June 11, 2021 | McMaster granted Zentek a 20-year worldwide exclusive license to use and commercialize certain aptamer-based rapid detection technologies (initially aimed at SARS-CoV-2) developed by Li Lab. StreetInsider.com+2Zentek Ltd.+2 | | June 17, 2021 | Public announcement that Zentek signed exclusivity agreement with McMaster to commercialize a newly developed aptamer-based rapid detection test for COVID-19 (saliva-based). StreetInsider.com+1 | | May 19, 2022 | Announcement that McMaster (with support from Zentek) received two major grants from Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) — a $1,000,000 Alliance Missions Grant + $350,000 Idea-to-Innovation (I2I) Grant — to advance commercialization of the aptamer rapid-detection platform. Zentek Ltd.+2InvestorNews+2 | | June 1, 2022 | Zentek retained an external consultancy (for example, market- and commercialization-focused) to assist in bringing the aptamer-based rapid detection tech toward market readiness. Boardroom Alpha+1 | | July 20, 2023 | Announcement that the aptamer “platform” from Li Lab successfully demonstrated prophylactic/therapeutic potential in preclinical animal models against SARS-CoV-2 — i.e., aptamers neutralized virus with performance comparable to a commercial monoclonal antibody. Zentek Ltd.+2Zentek Ltd.+2 | | July 27, 2023 | Zentek & McMaster announced a new aptamer technology platform: the improved aptamers show up to 250× increased binding affinity (vs baseline) — potentially enabling better diagnostics and therapeutic/prophylactic uses. Zentek Ltd.+2Zentek Ltd.+2 | | June 23, 2023 (effective date of amendment) | The original license agreement was amended to expand the scope: now covers all aptamer and DNAzyme uses, not just diagnostics for SARS-CoV-2, but diagnostics, therapeutics, neutralization agents — across potential future pathogens or targets. Zentek Ltd.+2Zentek Ltd.+2 | | October 5, 2023 | Zentek announced the creation of a wholly-owned subsidiary (Triera Biosciences Ltd.) that now holds the global exclusive licensing rights for all aptamer-based technology developed in collaboration with McMaster. This is meant to accelerate development, partnerships, and commercial adoption. Zentek Ltd.+2Zentek Ltd.+2 | | November 15, 2023 | Zentek reported a further upgrade to the aptamer platform: a “high-binding affinity” version, in which the universal COVID-19 aptamer’s binding affinity increased from ~300× to over 500× compared to base aptamers, and manufacturing yield improved (~95%). Zentek Ltd.+2MarketScreener Canada+2 | | October 31, 2024 | The company (through Triera / Zentek) signed a contract with the Government of Canada under its ISC Testing Stream to develop a prophylactic/therapeutic lead candidate for the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A(H5N1), using the multivalent aptamer strategy developed by Li Lab — showing expansion beyond SARS-CoV-2. Zentek Ltd.+1 | | April 23, 2025 | Zentek announced completion of the first phase of the ISC contract: delivery of a lead candidate countermeasure for H5N1, now advanced to testing phase, with key work done in collaboration with Li Lab at McMaster. Zentek Ltd. | | September 18, 2025 | Zentek (Triera) provided preliminary in vivo results (mouse model) for an influenza (H1N1) aptamer-based countermeasure — again leveraging the multivalent aptamer technology originating from Li Lab — with significantly improved survival and reduced disease severity vs control. Zentek Ltd.+1 |
?? Interpretation / What This Evolution Means - The relationship began (June 2021) as a licensing agreement: McMaster (Li Lab) developing a detection test for SARS-CoV-2; Zentek secured global exclusive commercialization rights.
- Over time, research in the Li Lab extended beyond diagnostics — leading to a new aptamer technology platform that markedly improves binding affinity and appears capable of therapeutic / prophylactic applications.
- Zentek responded by broadening the license scope (June 2023) to include all aptamer and DNAzyme uses — not just detection.
- To better manage development, partnerships, and funding for aptamer-based therapeutics/diagnostics, Zentek spun off a dedicated subsidiary (Triera Biosciences) in late 2023.
- Since then, aided by the platform from Li Lab, Zentek/Triera has expanded into other pathogens beyond SARS-CoV-2 — e.g. avian influenza (H5N1) and seasonal influenza (H1N1).
- The upgrades to binding affinity and manufacturing yield (2023) suggest the collaboration is maturing — moving from lab-scale proof-of-concept toward preclinical drug-development pipelines.
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