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Apriori receives funding boost from CEPI to advance AI platform to protect against viral threats

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OSLO, Norway and CAMBRIDGE, Mass., July 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Biotechnology company Apriori Bio has been awarded US $1.1 million from CEPI to advance its biology-informed artificial intelligence platform Octavia™, aimed at protecting humanity against rapidly-evolving viruses by designing variant-resilient vaccines.

The Octavia platform works by characterising large libraries of viral variants on their ability to bind to cells in the human body and evade the immune response. Then using machine learning, Octavia generates maps to identify the mutations that have the greatest ‘escape potential’ and could therefore pose the greatest threat. These insights can guide how new vaccines are designed and how existing vaccines are updated so that they can protect against worrisome variants for years to come.

Experts can also use Octavia’s real-time variant insights to inform public health decisions and policies against some of the world’s most deadly diseases. Having this information ‘a priori’ – before things appear – can significantly enhance the world’s pandemic readiness and ability to respond to an outbreak in as little as 100 days.

In-Kyu Yoon, M.D., Executive Director of Vaccine R&D (Acting), CEPI, said: “The world was brought to its knees by the devastating COVID-19 pandemic where fast-emerging variants like Omicron outsmarted our medical defences, so we had to constantly play catch-up. To avoid being in this vulnerable position again, we need to shift our global mindset to one of preparedness. By focusing on the range of potential deadly viral variants that could emerge from deadly pathogens ahead of time, we could seriously speed up our response to a future outbreak.”

Lovisa Afzelius, Ph.D., MBA, Co-founder and CEO of Apriori, said: “We are honoured to be recognized by a global leader in pandemic preparedness who shares our commitment to better protecting humanity from rapidly-evolving viruses. With CEPI’s support, we will continue advancing our Octavia platform, focusing on viruses beyond coronavirus, to ensure the global community is better prepared to effectively address future outbreaks with precision and speed.”

Octavia uses both computational insights and experimental biological data to build and train its algorithms. This includes looking at evolutionary trees of viruses to identify the point at which viral variability is most likely to occur and exploring how mutations could affect each other.

Apriori has already explored how Octavia works on COVID-19 variants. The new seed funding from CEPI will focus on pandemic influenza strain H3N2, which has previously affected pigs, birds and humans.

This work is supported by CEPI’s new dedicated biosecurity department, which was established to reduce biosafety and biosecurity risks associated with CEPI research investments, and accelerate responsible AI for vaccine development.

CEPI and Apriori are committed to enabling equitable access to the outputs of their partnership, in line with CEPI’s Equitable Access Policy. Project results, including related data, will be published open access for the benefit of the global scientific community. This includes the potential to share learnings with CEPI partners so that they can quickly get to work using their data to advance their vaccine designs.

This is the second project to be announced as part of CEPI’s call for vaccine innovations that could be critical to helping the world better prepare for future epidemics and pandemics.

About CEPI 
CEPI is an innovative partnership between public, private, philanthropic and civil organisations. Its mission is to accelerate the development of vaccines and other biologic countermeasures against epidemic and pandemic threats so they can be accessible to all people in need. CEPI has supported the development of more than 50 vaccine candidates or platform technologies against multiple known high-risk pathogens or a future Disease X. Central to CEPI’s pandemic-beating five-year plan for 2022-2026 is the ‘100 Days Mission’ to compress the time taken to develop safe, effective, globally accessible vaccines against new threats to just 100 days.

About Apriori Bio
Apriori is working to create a world where humanity is protected against viral threats. Our pioneering approach centers on a unique technology platform, Octavia™, which allows us to survey the entire fitness landscape of existing and potential viral variants to design new vaccines against the most threatening variants. Octavia can also inform public health policy in real time by predicting the impact of emerging variants. Apriori was founded in 2020 by Flagship Pioneering. For more information visit www.aprioribio.com or follow us on LinkedIn and X.

Press Contacts

CEPI
press@cepi.net
+44 7387 055214

Apriori Bio
press@aprioribio.com

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SOURCE Apriori Bio

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Supreme Court Justice Michelle O’Bonsawin Joins Elementary Students for Live Virtual Q&A and Chapter One Storybook Reading on Sep. 24

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The Honourable Justice Michelle O’Bonsawin, the first Indigenous person appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada, will join elementary students in a live virtual Q&A on September 24, from 1:00-2:15 pm ET, following a reading of the children’s storybook, “Daanis the Judge.” This event is hosted by Chapter One, a children’s literacy charity, to commemorate the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Lawyer Victoria Perrie, writer of “Daanis the Judge,” will read aloud the inspiring story, which is based on Justice O’Bonsawin’s remarkable journey. Illustrator EJ Miller-Larson will join Justice O’Bonsawin and Perrie in a moderated Q&A session with over 1900 elementary students.

TORONTO, Sept. 21, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — The Honourable Justice Michelle O’Bonsawin, the first Indigenous person to be appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada, will join elementary students in a live virtual Q&A following a live online reading of the original children’s storybook “Daanis the Judge,” on September 24, from 1:00-2:15 pm ET. The event will be hosted by Chapter One to mark the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Chapter One is a children’s literacy charity that provides 1:1 high-impact reading tutoring and co-creates original storybooks with participating communities nationwide.

“I am very humbled and proud to be a part of the book, “Daanis the Judge.” My hope is that this book will inspire youth to dream big and know that anything is possible. I am evidence of that!” – Justice Michelle O’Bonsawin

Métis-Cree lawyer Victoria Perrie, who wrote “Daanis the Judge,” will lead the live reading. Students will ask questions during a moderated Q&A with Justice O’Bonsawin, Perrie, and illustrator EJ Miller-Larson, of the Fond du Lac Band and Oneida Nation.

“Daanis the Judge” was inspired by Justice O’Bonsawin’s trailblazing career. It tells the story of a young student, Daanis, who dreams of becoming a judge after learning about Justice O’Bonsawin’s achievements.

The story is part of Chapter One’s growing collection of original children’s e-storybooks, co-created with Indigenous writers, illustrators and communities. The e-storybooks celebrate Indigenous experiences and perspectives, and feature audio clips of Elders pronouncing foundational words in their communities’ first languages. All e-storybooks are provided for free through the Global Free Library.

About Chapter One

Chapter One (chapterone.org/ca) is a global nonprofit and registered Canadian charity that provides one-on-one early literacy tutoring programs to 2,300 children in eight provinces and territories across Canada. Its proven “short burst” high-impact tutoring approach—five-minute sessions, three to five times a week—is ideally suited to young children’s attention spans and aligns with the Science of Reading. In one of the largest randomized control trials conducted on early literacy instruction, researchers from Stanford University found that 7 out of 10 students receiving Chapter One high impact tutoring achieved phonics benchmarks by the end of Kindergarten, compared to 32% in the control group.

Children at risk of reading failure receive 1:1 reading support from trained, paid paraprofessional tutors through Chapter One’s online reading platform and custom software. Programs are delivered in-person and virtually in classrooms through agreements with schools and school boards, and at home on families’ smartphones, connecting struggling readers with individualized reading support—regardless of location and circumstance, even in some of the most geographically remote communities in Canada.

In addition to its tutoring programs, Chapter One collaborates with Indigenous communities to co-create children’s stories that represent the communities’ priorities and experiences and advance language revitalization efforts. The e-storybooks are provided for free online, as part of the Global Free Library.

Event details

The Live Virtual Q&A and Reading of “Daanis the Judge” with the Honourable Justice O’Bonsawin takes place on Tuesday, September 24, from 1:00-2:15 pm ET via Zoom. The event is open to elementary classes (Grades 1-6). Teachers/principals must register their classes in advance using this link.

Media Contact

Denise Orosa, Chapter One Canada, 1 4374224825, denise.orosa@chapterone.org, chapterone.org/ca

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prweb.com/releases/supreme-court-justice-michelle-obonsawin-joins-elementary-students-for-live-virtual-qa-and-chapter-one-storybook-reading-on-sep-24-302254639.html

SOURCE Chapter One Canada

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PEAC Institute Launches “24 Hour Pause for Peace: A Global Concert”

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24 Hour Pause for Peace Will Be the Largest Peace Initiative Ever Worldwide, Unifying 96 Countries on Six Continents Through Music

MONTCLAIR, N.J., Sept. 21, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — On this International Day of Peace, PEAC Institute, part of the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize winning team, has launched “24 Hour Pause for Peace: A Global Concert,” the largest peace initiative ever organized worldwide through music.

“Now, we need companies, government entities, other nonprofits and donors who care about our cause for peace to join us in lifting up the biggest event of this generation.”

On October 4, 2025, this ground-breaking program will activate a massive network of youth ensembles that spans 96 countries and territories across six continents and host two 24-hour commercial festivals featuring some of the biggest acts in music and entertainment. This extraordinary day-long event will be live-streamed globally, allowing millions to participate simultaneously.

“It has been 40 years since Live Aid and We Are the World historically unified and changed the world through music,” said Rebecca Irby, president and CEO of PEAC Institute. “With our planet riddled with post-pandemic fatigue, climate chaos, unsettling wars and more, we believe it is time to create a new trajectory for humanity by inviting everyone around the globe to a 24 hour pause for peace to enjoy the sounds of music and feel the transformative power of human connection,” Irby explained.

Additionally, 24 Hour Pause for Peace plans to amass more than 100 million ambassadors to sign an appeal to the United Nations calling for a 24 hour ceasefire during the children’s concerts and commercial music events. All countries are welcome to participate with no exceptions. One of Pause for Peace’s core beliefs is everyone has the right to be equally respected and heard, particularly in collectively calling for peace.

“Achieving this ambitious global endeavor requires the support and participation from the most impactful brands, organizations, and influential leaders, artists and celebrities,” said Jennifer McKenna, 24 Hour Pause for Peace CEO.

Pause for Peace is a $165 million global initiative. Currently, it is in its first phase of raising seed capital through consumer brand-aligned sponsorships and private donors. Funding for the program is tax-deductible through PEAC’s 501(c)(3) status.

“We have assembled an exceptional executive team of change agents in entertainment, production, consumer marketing, charitable development and global security to make this extraordinary, worldwide peace event happen.” McKenna added. “Now, we need companies, government entities, other nonprofits and donors who care about our cause for peace to join us in lifting up the biggest event of this generation.” To become involved in 24 Hour Pause for Peace: A Global Concert as a sponsor, partner or donor, sign up to be an Ambassador, or for more information, go to www.24hourpauseforpeace.org.

About PEAC Institute

PEAC Institute is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in the United States. PEAC stands for peace, education, art and communication. It was formed in 2016 through a campaign with partner organization, International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), which garnered a 2017 Nobel Peace Prize. PEAC now holds special consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations and has a global presence working with countries and territories worldwide to reach the most marginalized youth through art and communication activities to help them explore and express. For more information on PEAC Institute, go to www.peacinstitute.org.

Media Contact

Chadwick Boyd, Pause for Peace, 1 4046060611, chadwick@24hourpauseforpeace.org, www.24hourpauseforpeace.org

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prweb.com/releases/peac-institute-launches-24-hour-pause-for-peace-a-global-concert-302254527.html

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Global Times: China opens 12 nuclear research facilities to global scientists

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The involved facilities span areas such as basic nuclear research, isotope production, nuclear environment simulation, equipment testing, and radioactive waste treatment and disposal.

VIENNA, Sept. 21, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — China will open 12 nuclear research facilities and testing platforms to international scientists and institutions to enhance global cooperation, a senior Chinese official said here on Monday.

These include the China Advanced Research Reactor, the new-generation tokamak device Huanliu-3, and the Beishan Underground Research Laboratory, Liu Jing, vice chairman of the China Atomic Energy Authority (CAEA), said at a meeting on the sidelines of the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) annual general conference.

The facilities span areas such as basic nuclear research, isotope production, nuclear environment simulation, equipment testing, and radioactive waste treatment and disposal.

Monday’s meeting, themed “Share for Development,” was organized by the CAEA to promote international cooperation in nuclear technology research and development, as China marks the 40th anniversary of its accession to the IAEA.

Yu Jianfeng, chairman of China National Nuclear Corporation, said at the event that the company aims to deepen cooperation with the IAEA and expand international collaboration. He expressed hope that opening China’s nuclear research facilities will contribute to advancing nuclear technology globally.

IAEA’s Deputy Director General Mikhail Chudakov commended China’s remarkable achievements in nuclear energy development and highlighted the long-standing, fruitful relationship between the IAEA and the CAEA.

Welcoming China’s decision to open up more of its nuclear research and development facilities, Chudakov said the move will further strengthen the agency’s technical capacity to support its member states.

On Monday evening, the CAEA and China’s permanent mission to the United Nations (UN) and other international organizations in Vienna jointly held a reception at the UN headquarters in Vienna to celebrate the 40th anniversary of China’s accession to the IAEA. More than 200 participants, including IAEA representatives and foreign envoys to Vienna, attended the event.

Li Song, China’s permanent representative to the UN and other international organizations in Vienna, said at the reception that China and the IAEA have expanded practical cooperation and jointly promoted the development of nuclear energy over the past 40 years.

China, he said, will continue to strengthen collaboration with the IAEA and its member states to address emerging challenges in international security, safeguard the global non-proliferation regime, and promote the use of nuclear energy and technology for the benefit of the Global South.

At the reception, Liu, Li and IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi jointly unveiled a bronze statue of Qian Sanqiang, a renowned Chinese nuclear physicist and one of the founders of China’s nuclear industry.

The statue, donated by China, will be permanently displayed at the IAEA headquarters, alongside sculptures of Polish-French physicist Marie Curie and other prominent figures who have made significant contributions to the peaceful use of nuclear energy.

Contact: xutianshu@globaltimes.com.cn

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/global-times-china-opens-12-nuclear-research-facilities-to-global-scientists-302254830.html

SOURCE Global Times

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