Protein Attachment Technologies LLC is a start-up company located in Amherst Massachusetts. Our principal activity is the development and use of new reagents and assay methods, which result from innovative combinations of protein engineering and chemical self-assembly. The products and reagents are designed to be particularly well-suited for biochemical tests of function in complex signal transduction pathways involving membrane receptors.

The underlying technology represents a new platform for assembling and assaying the activity of the critical signaling components, which has created a new ability to assess functions that only emerge as a result of biological assembly.

In contrast to the current art, which is focused on screening pair-wise interactions among signaling components, our methods represent qualitatively new testing abilities, and will permit the many signaling pathways relevant to human disease to be mined for greater understanding and screened for potential therapeutics.

The technology, reagents and assays are optimized for ease of use, reliability, and broad utility in basic research and high throughput analyses. The ubiquitous role of transmembrane receptor proteins in cellular signaling pathways, coupled with the significant challenges for their isolation and study has generated this need.

This need also represents the driving force behind P.A. Technologies' research and innovation efforts: to provide researchers and industry with ahead-of-the-curve technologies that enable efficient and effective analysis.

Co-Founders

Dr. Robert M. Weis - Robert has B.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Chemistry from the University of Michigan and Stanford University, respectively.  He has been a member of the faculty in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Massachusetts Amherst since 1988, where he conducts research in transmembrane signaling.

Dr. Anthony L. Shrout - Anthony graduated from Indiana State University in 1998 with a B.S. in chemistry. He then began graduate studies in the Chemistry department at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Using the chemotaxis signaling system of E. coli, Dr. Robert Weis, Anthony, and colleagues conceived and developed the novel surface templating technology (patent-pending) our company has exclusively licensed.

Dr. Edward A. Esposito - Edward graduated from Southern Connecticut State University in 1998 with a Double Baccalaureate in Chemistry and Biology. He then attended the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, working on his doctoral thesis under the guidance of Dr. Craig T. Martin in the Department of Chemistry. Ed’s work in the field of protein-nucleic acid engineering has led to the elucidation of key mechanistic features of T7 RNA polymerase.

Timmy J. Shrout (Managing Partner) - Tim graduated from Indiana University in 1982 with a B.S. in Accounting.  The next 23 years have been spent in the Real Estate industry amassing a portfolio of 8000 Apartment units, development of over 5000 Residential lots, plus extensive holdings of Commercial Properties.  Tim has created over 50 new business entities from conception and is currently President and Owner of a diversified conglomerate with over $50MM in annual revenue.

Sales and Marketing

Mr. Steve Zolnay (Director of Business Development) Stephen Zolnay brings 20 years of experience to his role as VP of Business Development at Nanostream. Mr. Zolnay was most recently responsible for driving Nanostream’s new business and partnership opportunities for the company’s suite of micro parallel liquid chromatography products. Before joining Nanostream, Mr. Zolnay oversaw the U.S. operations for the Cell Culture division at The Automation Partnership in Cambridge, United Kingdom. As area sales manager at IGEN International, he was responsible for business development in the Mid-Atlantic region. He remained the top producer in worldwide sales during his entire tenure at IGEN. Mr. Zolnay held additional sales and sales management roles at Unisyn Technologies and Caliper, formerly Zymark Corporation. Mr. Zolnay received a BA from Dartmouth College and completed further studies in immunology and economics at Harvard University.

Management Team

Dr. Mark A. Tepper (Executive Chairman) Dr. Tepper is a seasoned biotech executive with a strong mix of business and scientific experience. For the last 6 years Dr. Tepper helped launch 3 biotechnology companies, and contributed directly to an additional 4 companies. His most recent company for which he raised $8M in April 2008 is NKT Therapeutics Inc. a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing first in class medicines based on Natural Killer Cells to treat immune mediated diseases. Prior that NKT, he founded, and served as the President of Araios, Inc., focused on RNAi therapeutics for treating metabolic and neurodegenerative diseases. He raised $8M from CytRx Corporation (NASDAQ: CYTR), and 2 years later, fully merged Araios into CytRx. Later on, as Senior VP, he assisted CytRx to raise $35M in capital, build market value from $80M to $320M and put in place the plan that led to a public spin out of RXi Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: RXII), a novel RNAi therapeutics company founded by Nobel Laureate Dr. Craig Mello, valued at $120M in Dec 2008.  His R&D leadership experience included running drug development programs with up to 120 employees and over the years his contributions resulted in 5 marketed Pharmaceutical products (Deoxyspergualin, Taxol, Rebif, Orcenia and Gonal-F). He spent 8 years at Serono Pharmaceuticals rising to the rank of VP Research and Operations, US drug discovery division, in charge of 78 employees and an R&D annual budget of $20 million. He also spent 8 years at Bristol-Myers Squibb, as Senior Research Investigator in Oncology and Immunological Diseases drug discovery where he worked on a number of cancer drugs including Taxol. He has a Ph.D. in Biochemistry & Biophysics from Columbia University, New York, and a B.A in Chemistry (Cum Laude) from Clark University, Worcester, Mass. He gained postdoctoral training at University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester. He has over 40 published scientific papers, and is the co-inventor of 5 granted drug related patents.

Kenneth L. Rice, Jr., J.D., L.L.M., M.B.A. Mr. Rice brings over 25 years of experience in life sciences-related businesses to Alseres. Most recently, Mr. Rice served as Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, and Chief Commercial Officer of Aderis Pharmaceuticals, a privately held biopharmaceutical company. Mr. Rice previously held executive positions with MacroChem Corporation, Pentose Pharmaceuticals, Unisyn Technologies, Zymark Corporation, and Millipore Corporation. Mr. Rice earned his LLM Taxation from Boston University Law School, his Juris Doctor Cum Laude from Suffolk University Law School, and his MBA and BS/BA from Babson College.

Ray D'Alonzo (Business and IP Strategy Officer) Ray is a visiting professor in the Chemistry Department of the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He retired from the Procter & Gamble Company in 2008 after more than 31 years of service. Ray received his B.S. degree in Chemistry from the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia in 1974 and his Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, in 1977. He joined P&G after receiving his doctorate and joined the Company’s Pharmaceutical Division in 1984. From 1984 to 2008, he held senior director level managerial responsibilities over a wide range of functions and projects from discovery research to clinical development to technical support of marketed products. In 1985, his research team discovered Actonel^® , a $2 billion block buster drug for osteoporosis.

Gregory A. Bruzas (Financial Advisor) - Greg is a graduate of Wabash College, earning his Bachelor's degree in Liberal Arts as an Economics major. After graduating with honors in 1982, he joined American Fletcher National Bank (now Chase Bank) responsible for credit analysis and the origination and administration of commercial real estate lending. Greg has been with Dominion Group since 1985. In addition to administrative duties at Dominion, he handles construction and permanent financing, commercial leasing, and investments for the Dominion portfolio. He is a principal in several real estate developments, and he holds an Indiana Real Estate Broker license.

Alan M. Hux (Outside General Counsel – Sommer Barnard PC) - Alan graduated from DePauw University, Greencastle, IN in 1969 with a Bachelor’s degree in Economics. He obtained his Juris Doctor degree from Washington University School of Law in 1972. During his career Mr. Hux has represented numerous small, medium, and Fortune 500 companies in various aspects of business law. Mr. Hux is a director/shareholder of Sommer Barnard, PC located in Indianapolis, Indiana and is a member of that firm’s Business Law and Real Estate Practice Groups. He is licensed to practice law in Indiana and Illinois and admitted to practice before the United States District Court (Eastern District, Illinois; Southern District, Indiana) and the United States Court of Appeals (7th Circuit).

Gregory B. Coy (Outside Patent Counsel – Krieg-Devault, LLP) – Greg was born in Tampa, Florida. He received a B.A. in Biology in 1992 from Wabash College and a J.D. degree from the Indiana University School of Law-Bloomington in 1995, where he was Senior Executive Editor of the Federal Communications Law Journal in 1995. He has more than 10 years of experience providing legal representation in the area of intellectual property to universities, research institutions, and companies of all sizes, ranging from small local concerns to large international firms.

Wayne Massey (President of Geneva Capital Group) - Wayne graduated form Indiana University with a degree in marketing and finance. Wayne’s 32 years of experience began in 1974 with Railroadman’s Savings bank in Indianapolis where he started his career in Investments and Lending. He then joined Citicorp as a lending officer. In 1980 Wayne opened the Indianapolis office for Collateral Control Corporation where he developed over 50 banking relationships serving larger banks through asset based lending services and smaller community banks in the equipment leasing area. In 1984, Wayne moved to Chicago as VP and Equity Placement Manager for Dekalb Equipment Leasing Corporation and continued developing bank relationships and participations; many of which continue toady with Geneva Capital Group, a company that he started in 1989.

Barbara Osborne (Immunologist and Entrepreneur in Biotechnology) – Barbara received her BA in English from Moravian College in Bethlehem, PA and her PhD in genetics and immunology from Stanford University Medical School. She did postdoctoral work at NIH in immunology. She joined the faculty of Veterinary & Animal Sciences at University of Massachusetts in 1985 where she directs a research program focused on various aspects of the development of a functional immune response. In 1999, along with three colleagues, she co-founded Hematech, LLC which was purchased by Kirin Pharmaceuticals in 2005.

Scientific Advisory Team

Robert M. Weis (Biological and Physical Chemist) - Robert has B.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Chemistry from the University of Michigan and Stanford University, respectively. He has been a member of the faculty in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Massachusetts Amherst since 1988, where he conducts research in transmembrane signaling. He is inventor of the core technology licensed by P.A. Tech and a company Co-founder.

Dr Tony Pawson (MA, University of Cambridge, PhD, Imperial Cancer Research Fund, London) is a Distinguished Scientist at the Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto. Dr Pawson’s ground breaking research has been directed towards understanding the molecular principles through which human cells are assembled and controlled. He has published over 350 papers in the field of molecular biology and formulated the now accepted concept that cellular signal transduction pathways function through a limited set of folded modular domains. Dr Pawson is a Professor in the Department of Medical Genetics and Microbiology at the University of Toronto, Foreign Associate of the National Academy of Sciences (US), and a Fellow of the Royal Societies of London and Canada. In recognition of his contribution to science and medicine Dr Pawson has received numerous awards, including the Gairdner Foundation International Award, and the Royal Medal from The Royal Society of London.

Tomi K. Sawyer (Ph.D. Chemistry, the University of Arizona) is Chief Scientific Officer and Senior Vice-President of Drug Discovery and Innovative Technologies at AILERON Therapeutics where he oversees R&D campaigns focused on peptide therapeutics based on novel stapling chemistry and drug design strategies with an emphasis on signal transduction pathways for cancer and other diseases. His research background includes peptide and peptidomimetic receptor agonists, peptidomimetic inhibitors of proteases, and both peptidomimetic and non-peptide inhibitors of signal-transduction therapeutic targets. Tomi has more than 250 publications and patents. His previous scientific and management positions include Pfizer Global R&D (including both Upjohn and Parke-Davis prior to their acquisitions by Pfizer). Tomi is also an Adjunct Professor of Chemistry as well as Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Massachusetts, and is an Adjunct Professor of Cancer Biology at the University of Massachusetts Medical School.

D. Venkataraman (expert in Organic Synthesis, materials, and supramolecular chemistry) - DV is an Associate Professor of Chemistry at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He spent the first 21 years of his life in the City of Madras (now called Chennai), India. He received his B.Sc. degree from Vivekananda College, Madras in 1989 and his M.Sc degree from Indian Institute of Technology, Madras in 1991. He received his Ph.D degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1996. During his Ph.D. years, he was advised by Prof. Jeff Moore at UIUC and by Prof. Stephen Lee at the University of Michigan (now at Cornell). After his Ph.D., DV moved to Cornell as a postdoctoral Associate and worked with Prof. Frank DiSalvo and Prof. Jean Fréchet. In 1999, DV moved to UMass Amherst where he is now an Associate Professor.