GreenMark wins $297,615 grant to advance drill-free dental repair
What's the deal? GreenMark Biomedical has received up to $297,615 in follow-on grant funding from the Translational Resource Center to develop regenerative products for noninvasive treatment of early-stage dental decay. The Ann Arbor, Michigan company announced the award on August 25, 2026.
What's the endgame? GreenMark builds mineral-loaded starch nanoparticles designed to rebuild enamel from the inside out before cavities form. The grant funds a project titled "Targeted Remineralization Treatment Using Mineral Loaded Starch Nanoparticles," which also targets dental sensitivity.
Why now? The company is pushing toward a $5 million Series A round. "The funding will help advance the product pipeline," said chairman and chief executive officer Dr. Steven Bloembergen, adding that GreenMark is focused on closing the round.
Who's involved? The follow-on grant draws in dental schools at the University of Michigan and the University of Pittsburgh, plus the Wyss Institute at HarvardDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →. Since 2018, the NIHDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →-funded center has provided GreenMark with funding, regulatory guidance, clinical input, and commercialization support.
The company says dental caries is the world's most prevalent chronic disease, affecting more than 95% of Americans over their lifetimes. Current topical fluoride products can slow decay but do not fully restore enamel beneath the tooth surface. Dental sensitivity affects up to 74% of Americans.
GreenMark's CrystLCare dental strips have generated clinical and market experience with the technology. Pilot evaluations showed rapid relief of sensitivity tied to gingival recession and procedures including scaling and root planing. Clinical observations also showed radiographic evidence consistent with remineralization of early-stage lesions.
"We're developing professional-use and over-the-counter products designed to reverse early decay by restoring enamel from the inside out," said Dr. Nathan Jones, GreenMark's vice president of technology and co-principal investigator. Clinical director Rachel Miller said the strips are simple enough for dental assistants to apply chairside, letting patients continue the routine at home.
The signal: At $297,615, the grant sits near the middle of comparable rounds by size, placing it in roughly the 51st percentile. For GreenMark, the award marks a move beyond early research into a broader translational stage, with the company now sharpening manufacturing scale-up and distribution plans ahead of commercialization.
Read more: universityresearchtimes.com
Image credit: Generated with Gemini
