zachary A. Nora, PhD

Leveraging in-depth knowledge and experience with life sciences technologies to provide valuable patent protection, portfolio management, and strategy

Zachary Nora, PhD, focuses his practice on patent drafting and prosecution in the life sciences, with an emphasis on clinical-stage biologics such as antibodies. He also has experience covering antibody-drug conjugates, fusion proteins, CAR T cells, recombinant DNA and RNA, and other clinical biologics. Zachary works closely with his clients to develop and manage patent portfolio strategies and assists with due diligence and freedom to operate analyses.

Prior to joining McNeill PLLC, Zachary spent nearly three years with Morrison Foerster, where he developed his patent drafting and prosecution skills. Zachary has a PhD in biochemistry and has prior research experience with protein and lipid biochemistry, molecular biology, and small molecule psychedelic compounds. Zachary published his graduate research in Nature Communications, Molecular Cell, and Cell Chemical Biology, where he led work to identify and characterize disease-associated proteins in mitochondrial respiration and cellular lipid homeostasis pathways. During his PhD, Zachary simultaneously consulted for the Usona Institute, where he helped design and build Porta Sophia, a robust prior art repository for improving patent examination in the field of clinical psychedelics.

Zachary received his MS in chemistry with a focus in biochemistry from Villanova University, where he studied small molecule activation of Nrf2 transcription factor and its cytoprotective biproducts. He received his BA in chemistry and philosophy from the University of Pennsylvania. Zachary also earned Division 1 All-American honors in collegiate wrestling while at the University of Pennsylvania and has competed on NBC’s hit TV show American Ninja Warrior.

Zachary changed his last name after marriage (formerly Zachary Kemmerer). 

Select Publications

“UbiB proteins regulate cellular CoQ distribution in Saccharomyces cerevisiae,” Nature Communications 12(1): 4769, August 6, 2021 (coauthor).

“Conserved Lipid and Small-Molecule Modulation of COQ8 Reveals Regulation of the Ancient Kinase-like UbiB Family,” Cell Chemical Biology 25(2): 154-165, November 30, 2017 (coauthor).

“Cerebellar Ataxia and Coenzyme Q Deficiency through Loss of Unorthodox Kinase Activity,” Molecular Cell 63(4): 608-620, August 4, 2016 (coauthor).

“Mitochondrial protein functions elucidated by multi-omic mass spectrometry profiling,” Nature Biotechnology, 34: 1191-1197, September 26, 2016 (coauthor).

“Comparison of human Nrf2 antibodies: A tale of two proteins,” Toxicology Letters 238 (2): 83-89, October 14, 2015 (coauthor).