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Media Contact:
pr@dnamedinstitute.com
NASA selects DNA Medicine Institute's Nanoscale Diagnostics Technology for
Phase II SBIR
Funding to support development of novel reagents for point-of-care fingerstick
diagnostics
Cambridge, MA, January 28, 2010--DNA Medicine Institute, a commercial organization
focused on advancing human health through innovation, today announced it has
been awarded a Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract from
the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The contract is designed
to develop nanoscale diagnostic technologies that facilitate whole health analysis
in a single drop of blood. The Institute will develop assays for assessment
of bone loss, immune function, cardiac health, liver function, and lipid status.
The nanoscale diagnostic platform is designed to make hospital tests, currently
performed on large machines with trained personnel, possible under any scenario.
This includes confined space flight environments and other field settings where
medical information is vital, but inaccessible. The Institute envisions that
this technology will be used in conjunction with its Universal Blood Sensor
platform designed to shrink a hospital testing lab onto a handheld, point-of-care
device.
"We are pleased to work with NASA in developing technologies for monitoring
crew health during space flight, including journeys to the space station and
other manned space missions," said Eugene Y. Chan, M.D., President and Chief
Scientific Officer of the DNA Medicine Institute. "This funding will allow us
to develop innovations for diagnosing medical conditions in unique environments
with minimal amounts of blood and reagents."
The DNA Medicine Institute was awarded a Phase I NASA SBIR grant in 2008. During
this Phase I project, the Institute met key milestones for developing novel
nanoscale diagnostic technologies.
About DNA Medicine Institute
The DNA Medicine Institute is a commercial organization whose mission is to
advance patient care, alleviate human suffering, and treat disease through innovation.
Founded by Eugene Y. Chan, M.D., its core beliefs are that successful, innovative
commercial products can make a long-lasting impact on patient care. It currently
does research on intuitive medical devices, smartly designed drugs, and powerful
research instrumentation. One of these is the Universal Blood Sensor, a technology
designed to perform a full health analysis of a person, anywhere, anytime, and
with a single drop of blood. The DNA Medicine Institute's multi-faceted approach
to innovation draws upon diverse fields including medicine, nanotechnology,
genomics, biophysics, biochemistry, molecular biology, and advanced engineering.
For more information, visit: www.dnamedinstitute.com.
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