AM Biotechnologies, LLC wins $100,000 SBIR contract from NASA
AM to create hand-held device for detecting medical conditions in
orbiting astronauts
HOUSTON
– Officials with AM Biotechnologies, LLC
(AM) today announced the company has won a $100,000 Small Business Innovation Research
(SBIR) contract from NASA to further develop a device that simplifies the
process of detecting medical conditions of astronauts while in orbit.
The six-month
contract will be used to demonstrate a new thioaptamer diagnostic system, based
on the integration of AM’s proprietary thioaptamers and a state-of-the-art
microfluidics instrument from Sandia National Laboratories. AM’s thioaptamers
are short strands of DNA or RNA that have been modified in a laboratory. They
can be used like antibodies when performing research, diagnostics or therapeutics
and are stable at ambient temperatures. Sandia’s hand-held device can detect
proteins or other molecules in a variety of human samples, such as urine or
blood, and determine if a person has a disease, illness or other medical
condition. It is a very sensitive
battery operated instrument with small diagnostic assay chips. The use of AM’s thioaptamers
in the chips will result in a very small, powerful new tool that does not
require refrigerated storage of the consumable chips for proper operation and
diagnoses.
“The
thioaptamer diagnostic system will be perfect for performing diagnostic tests
in remote settings, such as space, where a laboratory is not available,” said
AM President Mark Shumbera. “But, it also poses tremendous benefits for use in developing
countries, where basic utilities are either scarce or don’t exist.” Dr. Anup Singh with Sandia said that “The
handheld device weighs less than 5 lbs and can operate on batteries, which
makes it very attractive for situations requiring portability such as
health monitoring during a space mission or in a resource-poor setting.”
AM will
use the contract to develop a proof of concept of the thioaptamer diagnostic
system to ensure that the two technologies work together. Future plans also include working with Sandia
to license its microfluidic technology and bring it in-house at AM. “This NASA contract win is a huge boost for
us, as it demonstrates that there is solid customer interest in our product,”
Shumbera said. AM is currently
negotiating the terms of the contract with NASA. AM’s contract is one of 350
SBIR contracts NASA recently awarded to 242 small, high-tech firms in 38
states.
The SBIR
program is a highly competitive, three-phase award system. It provides
qualified small businesses - including women-owned and disadvantaged firms -
with opportunities to propose unique ideas that meet specific research and
development needs of the federal government. The criteria used to choose these
winning proposals included technical merit and feasibility, experience,
qualifications and facilities, effectiveness of the work plan, and commercial
potential and feasibility.
About AM Biotechnologies, LLC
AM Biotechnologies, LLC (AM) specializes in the
commercialization of thioaptamers, short strands of laboratory-modified DNA and
RNA that can be used like antibodies when performing research, diagnostics or
therapeutics. Holding an exclusive worldwide license for thioaptamer and
thiophosphoramidite technology, the company offers numerous products and
services based upon this technology platform. AM’s team of nucleic acid
chemists, renowned biotech research scientists and engineers provide a rich
environment for innovation and problem solving. The company is based in