The grant will help fund continuing experiments directed towards the development and commercialization of novel, automated, and reproducible methods for the extraction of clinically important protein biomarkers, subcellular molecular complexes, and organelles (such as mitochondria) from cells and tissues using the company’s patented pressure cycling technology (PCT). The grant is for a total of $850,000, to be billed over two years.
Over the past 18 months, the company and its collaborators are said to have generated initial feasibility data in the use of PCT to extract protein biomarkers, subcellular molecular complexes, and organelles. These studies were partially funded by a $149,000 National Institutes of Health (NIH) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I Grant awarded to Pressure BioSciences in 2006.
The new SBIR Phase II Grant is intended to fund additional development in these areas, with the expectation that these studies will ultimately lead to the release of a new, commercially available PCT-based system, with validated protocols, end-user kits, and other consumables intended for the extraction of clinically important protein biomarkers, subcellular molecular complexes, and organelles.
Alexander Lazarev, vice president of R&D at Pressure BioSciences, said: “This new grant will allow us to continue our efforts in the development and commercialization of standard, automated, and reproducible PCT-dependent methods for obtaining mitochondria and other organelle preparations.”