 |
September 8, 2003
Biolog Awarded NIAID Grant to
Develop Phenotype MicroArray Technology for Detection of
Bioterrorism Agents
HAYWARD, Calif.--(BUSINESS
WIRE)--Sept. 8, 2003--Biolog, Inc. announced today that it has
received a multi-year grant of $2.28 million from the National
Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). This grant
will fund additional development of advanced detection and
identification methods for the most important bacteria, including
those that could be used in acts of bioterrorism. The company will
use the unprecedented depth, scope, and detailed information
obtained from the Phenotype MicroArray(TM) (PM) cellular assay
technology to develop several advanced diagnostic tools. These new
tools will improve the simplicity, speed, and accuracy of bacterial
identification far beyond the technology currently available to
medical laboratories.
The company is continuing to develop its innovative Phenotype
MicroArray technology and is currently expanding it to human and
mouse cell lines. This new capability will complement the
applications already developed for use with bacteria, yeast, and
filamentous fungi.
Phenotype MicroArrays represent a fundamental platform technology
that allows scientists to easily and efficiently test hundreds to
thousands of cellular traits simultaneously. The technology can be
used to determine cellular phenotypic expression in many areas of
research and development.
The two most important near term applications are using PMs to
determine the effects of genetic changes on cells and to determine
the effects of drugs on cells. This grant is specifically intended
to further the state of the art in rapid diagnostic solutions for
the microbiology laboratory. The phenotypic response of cells can
change dramatically depending on the cell's physiological state. A
key, unique advantage of PM technology is that it allows a scientist
to detect effects of a change under hundreds to thousands of states
of the cell.
Tim Mullane, President & CEO, stated, "This grant allows us to
substantially accelerate our development of not only our Phenotype
MicroArray technology but also our Microbiology Identification
products. We have been innovators in broad based microbial
identification products for over 15 years and we now can apply our
expertise to new critical challenges faced by microbiology
laboratories worldwide. If a bioterrorism attack occurred, depending
upon the target, for instance humans, animals, or agriculture, the
samples indicating this attack could be received by many types of
microbiology laboratories."
Biolog's MicroLog(TM) and OmniLog® microbial identification systems
are used in over 60 countries worldwide in all fields of
microbiology. The laboratories using these systems range from human
and animal clinical labs, to pharmaceutical, personal care product
and food companies, to research in government and university
laboratories.
Throughout its 15 year history, Biolog has repeatedly been
successful in obtaining SBIR and other grants from various agencies
within the U.S. government: NIH, NSF, DOE, and NASA. These agencies
have awarded grants to aid in the development of technology and
products needed in microbiology and cell biology. Every grant
received by Biolog to date has resulted in the successful
development and commercialization of a new product.
Biolog, a privately held company based in Hayward, Calif., is a
pioneer in the development of powerful new cell analysis tools for
solving critical problems in clinical, pharmaceutical, and
biotechnology research and development. The company's Phenotype
MicroArray technology and OmniLogPM System can be used in the
discovery and development of new drugs as well as bioactive agents
for animal and plant applications.
Further information can be obtained at the company's website,
www.biolog.com.
|
