ScaleReady announces multiple G-Rex® Grants have been awarded to investigators at University of Minnesota's Center for Genome Engineering

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ScaleReady, in collaboration with Wilson Wolf Manufacturing, Bio-Techne Corporation (NASDAQ: TECH), and CellReady, has awarded $665,000 in G-Rex® Grants to three investigators at the University of Minnesota's Center for Genome Engineering.

The grants were distributed to: Dr. Branden Moriarity ($300,000) for CAR-NK cell therapy development for ovarian cancer, Dr. Beau Webber ($240,000) for TIL therapy development for solid tumors, and Dr. Joseph Skeate ($125,000) for T-cell therapy development targeting Batten Disease.

ScaleReady's G-Rex Grant Program has now exceeded $40M in no-cost product commitments. The company has also launched a new free program called LEAN Cell & Gene™ in partnership with Hanson Wade to promote efficient CGT manufacturing practices.

Insights

Biotechnology Research Analyst

ScaleReady's $665K G-Rex grants to UMN researchers advance novel cell therapies for cancer and rare diseases.

The $665,000 in G-Rex Grant funding awarded to three University of Minnesota researchers represents meaningful financial support for advancing innovative cell therapy development. The largest grant of $300,000 goes to Dr. Moriarity for a novel CAR-NK cell therapy targeting epithelial ovarian cancer, positioning this therapy closer to Phase 1 clinical trials. The two additional grants support TIL therapy development for solid tumors ($240,000) and T cell therapy for Batten disease ($125,000).

These grants are particularly significant as they focus on diverse therapeutic applications beyond traditional CAR-T approaches - including CAR-NK cells, TIL therapies, and treatments for rare neurodegenerative disorders. The funding specifically targets critical development stages including technology transfer, process development, and manufacturing optimization - all crucial bottlenecks in cell therapy advancement.

The G-Rex technology from ScaleReady (collaboration between Wilson Wolf, Bio-Techne, and CellReady) has become an important platform for cell therapy manufacturing, with the grant program having committed over $40 million in no-cost product support. The additional announcement of the free LEAN Cell & Gene program demonstrates the company's strategic push to expand adoption of their manufacturing platform while simultaneously addressing industry-wide challenges in quality, scalability, and operational efficiency.

For Bio-Techne (NASDAQ: TECH), as one of the ScaleReady collaborators, this represents continued momentum in positioning their technologies within the rapidly growing cell and gene therapy manufacturing ecosystem.

ST. PAUL, Minn., July 31, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- ScaleReady, in collaboration with Wilson Wolf Manufacturing, Bio-Techne Corporation (NASDAQ: TECH) and CellReady, today announced that three investigators at the University of Minnesota's Center for Genome Engineering have been awarded $665,000 of G-Rex® Grant funding.

Dr. Branden Moriarity, Associate Professor at the University of Minnesota, Co-Director of Center for Genome Engineering, Co-Director of the Genome Engineering Shared Resource, and Member of the Masonic Cancer Center, was awarded a $300,000 G-Rex Grant to support technology transfer, process development and qualification runs for a novel hyper-functional Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) Natural Killer (NK) cell therapy for the treatment of advanced epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) in a Phase 1 clinical trial.

Dr. Beau Webber, Associate Professor at the University of Minnesota, Co-Director of the Genome Engineering Shared Resource, Member of the Center for Genome Engineering, and Member of the Masonic Cancer Center, was awarded a $240,000 G-Rex Grant to support preclinical development of a novel tumor infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) therapy for the treatment of various solid tumors.

Dr. Joseph Skeate, Assistant Professor at the University of Minnesota, was awarded a $125,000 G-Rex Grant to support process development and optimization of a G-Rex® centric manufacturing processes for production of a TPP1 expressing T cells therapy for the treatment of Batten Disease, a group of rare, inherited neurodegenerative disorders that typically begin in childhood.

"We are highly appreciative of receiving significant G-Rex Grant funding that will improve G-Rex centric manufacturing for our unique cell and gene therapy drug products. The willingness of our Minnesota neighbors, Wilson Wolf and Bio-Techne, to allocate financial resources to our University of Minnesota cell and gene therapy (CGT) programs and the CGT field as a whole is greatly appreciated," said Dr. Branden Moriarity.

"The state of Minnesota has a long history of pioneering adoptive cell therapy efforts dating back to 1968 when the first bone marrow transplant with a matched related donor occurred at the University of Minnesota. It's our pleasure to award G-Rex Grant funds to these leading investigators at the Center for Genome Engineering to advance their diverse portfolio of innovate cell therapies for devastating cancers and rare diseases and we are fortunate to be able to play a small role in supporting Minnesota's contributions to the field of Cell & Gene Therapy," said John Wilson, CEO of Wilson Wolf and co-inventor of G-Rex.

ScaleReady's G-Rex Grant Program has now surpassed $40M of no-cost product commitments to grant recipients with the goal of advancing the state of cell and gene-modified cell therapy (CGT) development and manufacturing. Individual Grant Awards are worth up to $300,000. G-Rex Grant Recipients also gain access to exclusive support from ScaleReady's growing consortium of G-Rex Grant Partners who bring best-in-class tools and technologies as well as unparalleled knowledge and expertise in the areas of cGMP manufacturing, quality and regulatory affairs, CGT business operations, and more.

Importantly, ScaleReady has just introduced yet another FREE program to accelerate the universal presence of highly efficient and scalable CGT manufacturing. Under this program ScaleReady has partnered with Hanson Wade to launch an event series called LEAN Cell & Gene™. All CGT entities are invited to attend and will learn how to systematically identify and eliminate waste, stabilize business operations, increase drug product quality and supply, and develop a LEAN approach to cell and gene therapy development and manufacturing.

For more information about the G-Rex® Grant Program, please contact info@scaleready.com.

For more information about LEAN Cell & Gene™, please use this link to register for the free event series.

About ScaleReady
ScaleReady provides the field of cell and gene-modified cell therapy (CGT) with a G-Rex centric manufacturing platform that enables the world's most practical, flexible, scalable, and affordable CGT drug product development and manufacturing.

The G-Rex manufacturing platform is currently used by a rapidly growing list of over 800 organizations and is producing drug products for approximately 50% of CGT clinical trials as well as 5 commercially approved CGT drugs.

CGT entities relying on the breadth and scope of ScaleReady's expertise can expect to save years of time and millions of dollars on the path to CGT commercialization.

For more information about the ScaleReady G-Rex® Grant Program, please contact info@scaleready.com.

About Wilson Wolf Manufacturing
Wilson Wolf (www.wilsonwolf.com) is dedicated to simplifying cell and gene-modified cell (CGT) therapy research, process development, and manufacturing. This is being accomplished through its scalable G-Rex technology, which is used throughout the world in CGT applications ranging from basic research to commercial drug production.

Wilson Wolf's mission is to create hope for cancer patients, one G-Rex® device at a time.

About Bio-Techne Corporation
Bio-Techne Corporation (NASDAQ: TECH) is a global life sciences company providing innovative tools and bioactive reagents for the research and clinical diagnostic communities. Bio-Techne, in partnership with Wilson Wolf, is creating products such as media and cytokines that are specifically tailored to G-Rex® Bioreactors, including right-sized reagent quantities in containers that are tailored to high throughput closed-system manufacturing. For more information on Bio-Techne and its brands, please visit https://www.bio-techne.com or follow the Company on social media at: Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter or YouTube.

Contact: David Clair, Vice President, Investor Relations & Corporate Development
david.clair@bio-techne.com
612-656-4416

About CellReady LLC
CellReady is the world's first and only G-Rex centric contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) specializing in G-Rex based cell and gene-modified cell therapy development and manufacturing. The company offers a wide range of services to support the development and commercialization of these therapies.

CellReady's mission is to create hope for cancer patients, one G-Rex® process at a time.

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SOURCE Bio-Techne Corporation

FAQ

How much funding did ScaleReady award in G-Rex Grants to University of Minnesota researchers?

ScaleReady awarded a total of $665,000 in G-Rex Grants to three investigators at the University of Minnesota's Center for Genome Engineering.

What is the maximum individual G-Rex Grant award amount from ScaleReady?

Individual G-Rex Grant Awards are worth up to $300,000.

What therapeutic areas are being targeted by the University of Minnesota G-Rex Grant recipients?

The grants support research in advanced epithelial ovarian cancer (CAR-NK cell therapy), various solid tumors (TIL therapy), and Batten Disease (T-cell therapy).

What is the total value of ScaleReady's G-Rex Grant Program commitments?

The G-Rex Grant Program has surpassed $40M in no-cost product commitments to grant recipients.

What new program has ScaleReady launched to improve CGT manufacturing?

ScaleReady has launched LEAN Cell & Gene™, a free event series in partnership with Hanson Wade, focused on improving efficiency in cell and gene therapy manufacturing.