Expand All News | Collapse All News
April 22, 2008 – Microchip Biotechnologies, Inc. (MBI) announces that it has entered into a multi-patent license agreement with GE Healthcare that significantly enhances MBI’s intellectual property portfolio supporting the development of lab-on-a-chip devices. The patents cover design and methods for creating integrated fluidic microchip devices.
“Licensing these fundamental patents continues to build our strong intellectual property position in microfluidic devices,” said Dr. Stevan Jovanovich, President and CEO of MBI. “Microfluidic devices will play a critical role in next-generation instrumentation that delivers fully-automated, cost-effective bioassay solutions in the life sciences, applied sciences, and molecular diagnostics.”
California-based MBI will use the technology licensed from GE Healthcare to develop and commercialize easy to use Sample-To-Answer systems using advanced microfluidic technologies. Microfluidics deals with the behavior, precise control, and manipulation of microliter and nanoliter volumes of fluids to perform life science assays. Microfluidics technologies are essential for development of lab-on-a-chip devices for DNA analysis and molecular diagnostics. Microfluidic devices are smaller, faster and cheaper than the laboratory benchtop instruments that they are designed to replace, and are exquisitely suited for clinical and forensic systems used at the bedside or in the field.
About Microchip Biotechnologies
Microchip Biotechnologies Inc. is an early-stage privately-held company located in Dublin, California that is developing advanced nanofluidic sample preparation and analytical instrumentation for Life Sciences, Applied Sciences, and Diagnostics markets. These solution are based on MBI’s proprietary “NanoBioProcessor™ platform and associated “Microscale-on-Chip-Valves” (MOV™). More details can be found on the Company’s website: www.microchipbiotech.com.
Media Contact
Dr Barney E. Saunders, Microchip Biotechnologies, Inc.,
Tel: 925-558-2028 E-mail:
Dublin, CA April 7th, 2008-Microchip Biotechnologies, Inc. (MBI) is pleased to announce that the Canadian Centre for DNA Barcoding (CCDB), at the Biodiversity Institute of Ontario, University of Guelph, will be the first participant to join MBI’s early access program for the Apollo 100 STAR System. The Apollo 100 STAR is the first fully automated and integrated system for DNA sample preparation for sequencing. The System incorporates MBI’s MOVTM (Microscale-On-Chip-Valve) technology exclusively licensed from the University of California.
DNA sample preparation is a tedious and time consuming process performed prior to DNA sequencing. There are numerous manual stages that use costly reagents and are subject to human error. MBI’s Apollo 100 STAR automatically performs DNA cycle sequencing and bead-based cleanup on microchips which significantly reduces labor, costly reagent consumption, and potential errors in sample processing.
“We are delighted that the Canadian Centre for DNA Barcoding has agreed to collaborate in our Apollo 100 STAR early access program. Their commitment to this program validates MBI’s overall strategic goal to develop and market front-end sample preparation systems for life science and diagnostic solutions” said Stevan Jovanovich, Ph.D., President and CEO of MBI.
“We are excited about the prospects of using Apollo 100 STAR in our facility. MBI is focused on developing technologies that will significantly aid in DNA barcoding systems. CCDB is committed to adopt such advanced technologies and to aid in technology development particularly in partnership with the commercial sector.” said Mehrdad Hajibabaei, Ph.D., Associate Director of CCDB.
About Microchip Biotechnologies
Microchip Biotechnologies Inc. is an early-stage privately-held company located in Dublin, California that is developing advanced nanofluidic sample preparation and analytical instrumentation for Life Sciences, Applied Sciences, and Diagnostics markets. These solution are based on MBI’s proprietary “NanoBioProcessor™ platform and associated “Microscale-on-Chip-Valves” (MOV™). More details can be found on the Company’s website: www.microchipbiotech.com.
About Canadian Centre for DNA Barcoding
Canadian Centre for DNA Barcoding is the first large-scale DNA barcoding research and production facility in the world. Its mission is to advance species identification and discovery through the comparative analysis of short, standardized gene regions known as DNA barcodes. By shifting the process of species recognition from traditional morphological approaches to one based on discrete genetic codes, DNA barcoding promises rapid automated identifications. CCDB is moving towards the activation of the International Barcode of Life Project (iBOL). This 5 year/ $150M project aims at building DNA barcode libraries for 5M specimens from 0.5M socio-economically important species. More details can be found on: www.dnabarcoding.ca, www.dnabarcoding.org
Media Contact
Dr Barney E. Saunders, Microchip Biotechnologies, Inc.,
Tel: 925-558-2028 E-mail:
Dr. Mehrdad Hajibabaei, Canadian Centre for DNA Barcoding
Tel: 416-857-6279 E-mail:
DUBLIN, California, February 28, 2008-Microchip Biotechnologies, Inc. (MBI) is collaborating with Stanford University to develop a front-end microfluidic based sample preparation system to generate template libraries for next generation Pyrosequencing. The goal of the project is to automate the complex, multi-step upstream template production using MBI’s Microscale-On-chip-Valves (MOVTM) for Superscalar Pyrosequencing. “Using MBI’s MOV technology to develop and integrate a fully automated sample preparation system will greatly reduce upfront sample preparation time (a key bottle neck in next generation sequencing systems), labor, and reagent costs for customers,” indicated Dr. Stevan Jovanovich, President and CEO of MBI. MBI’s microfluidic technology has been demonstrated in a number of life science, forensic, and biodefense sample preparation applications.
“By integrating and automating the upstream sample processing, it is envisioned that a mammalian genome can be sequenced in a day,” said Mostafa Ronaghi, PhD, senior research scientist and the Principal Investigator of the project at Stanford University.
Pyrosequencing was first introduced by Ronaghi and co-workers in 1996 and commercialized by Pyrosequencing AB in Sweden. Pyrosequencing relies on the bioluminometric real-time detection of inorganic pyrophosphate (PPi) that is released on successful incorporation of nucleotides during DNA synthesis.
About Microchip Biotechnologies
Microchip Biotechnologies Inc. is an early-stage privately-held company located in Dublin, California that is developing advanced nanofluidic sample preparation and analytical instrumentation for Life Sciences, Applied Sciences, and Diagnostics markets. These solution are based on MBI’s proprietary “NanoBioProcessor™ platform and associated “Microscale-on-Chip-Valves” (MOV™). More details can be found on the Company’s website: www.microchipbiotech.com.
Media Contact
Dr Barney E. Saunders, Microchip Biotechnologies, Inc.,
Tel: 925-558-2028 E-mail:
Microchip Biotechnologies, Inc. (MBI) has been selected for participation in the inaugural US Army Commercialization Pilot Program. The Commercialization Pilot Program is a new program to identify SBIR firms that have Phase II projects with high transition potential to commercial products that meet high priority Army requirements. MBI was identified as one of 25 firms selected out of 529 eligible firms and 416 applicants (http://www.armysbir.com/sbir/cpp_fy08.htm). MBI has been developing a biothreat detection system under Army SBIR funding. "The acceptance of MBI by the Army to participate in the CPP is a further validation of our commitment to develop and commercialize microfluidic technologies for the protection of the combat troops and civilian populations," said Dr. Stevan Jovanovich, President and CEO of MBI.
About Microchip Biotechnologies
Microchip Biotechnologies Inc. is an early-stage privately-held company located in Dublin, California that is developing advanced nanofluidic sample preparation and analytical instrumentation for Life Sciences, Applied Sciences, and Diagnostics markets. These solution are based on MBI’s proprietary “NanoBioProcessor™ platform and associated “Microscale-on-Chip-Valves” (MOV™). More details can be found on the Company’s website: www.microchipbiotech.com.
August 23, 2007 – Microchip Biotechnologies, Inc. (MBI) and TEC Edmonton have entered into an exclusive patent license agreement that allows MBI to commercialize a University of Alberta invention that can improve the development of lab-on-a-chip devices and biosampling procedures.
“The licensing of this fundamental patent on manipulating beads on-chip continues to build upon our strong intellectual property position in microfluidic devices,” said Stevan Jovanovich, President and CEO of MBI. “Microfluidic devices will play a critical role in next generation instrumentation in delivering fully automated, cost effective solutions life science, applied sciences, and diagnostic products for laboratory and field based applications.”
California-based MBI will use the technology patented by TEC Edmonton officially called an Apparatus and Method for Trapping Bead Based Reagents within Microfluidic Analysis Systems (US Patent 6,432,290). A team led by Dr. Jed Harrison, Professor and Chair in the Department of Chemistry, invented the technology to allow trapping of beads on-chip, as well as packing and unpacking the trapping zones, which significantly extends the applications of microfluidic analysis systems, such as those used in biodefense and genomics industries.
Microfluidics deals with the behavior, precise control and manipulation of microliter and nanoliter volumes of fluids and is used in the development of devices such as DNA chips, micro-propulsion, and lab-on-a-chip technology. Microfluidic devices are smaller, faster and cheaper than the desktop counterparts that they are designed to replace.
About TEC Edmonton
TEC Edmonton acts as the exclusive technology transfer office for the University of Alberta, the largest research institution in the province of Alberta with nearly 13,000 academic and support staff and over 36,000 students at its campus in the Province’s capital, Edmonton. A joint venture of the University of Alberta and Edmonton Economic Development Corporation, TEC Edmonton is committed to providing investors with access to high-growth, advanced-technology opportunities in the form of new inventions, innovations, or early stage ventures created in the Edmonton region. For more information, visit: www.TECedmonton.com.
About Microchip Biotechnologies
Microchip Biotechnologies Inc. is an early-stage privately-held company located in Dublin, California that is developing advanced nanofluidic sample preparation and analytical instrumentation for Life Sciences, Applied Sciences, and Diagnostics markets. These solution are based on MBI’s proprietary “NanoBioProcessorTM platform and associated “Microscale-on-Chip-Valves” (MOVTM). More details can be found on the Company’s website: www.microchipbiotech.com.
Microchip Biotechnologies, Inc. is pleased to announce that it has secured key patent rights from Pathwork Diagnostics for sample injection structures in microfluidic separations. The pending patent relates to improved sample injection structures and methods for defining accurate volumes of material for microfluidic separations. Financial terms of the transaction were not released.
“The addition of this intellectual property to our patent portfolio builds upon our strong patent position in microfluidic devices for life science, applied sciences, and diagnostic products.” said Dr. Stevan Jovanovich, President and CEO of MBI. “Microfluidic devices will play a critical role in next-generation instrumentation to deliver fully automated, cost effective solutions for laboratory and field based applications.”
The acquired pending patent was held previously by Predicant Biosciences, which in a June 2006 merger became Pathwork Diagnostics, a genomics-based diagnostics company focused on oncology.
About Pathwork Diagnostics
Pathwork Diagnostics, based in Sunnyvale, California, develops and delivers genomics-based diagnostics that advance cancer care. The company solves unmet needs in oncology by combining microarray technology with proprietary informatics to provide clinically actionable information in a robust and reproducible manner. The company's first test – the Pathwork™ Tissue of Origin Test – is under FDA review and is expected to aid in the diagnosis of patients with uncertain primary cancers, in which a tumor's origin cannot be readily identified. This approach could potentially enable oncologists to begin standard-of-care, tissue-directed management more promptly for patients. More information is available at www.pathworkdx.com.
About Microchip Biotechnologies
Microchip Biotechnologies Inc. is an early-stage privately-held company located in Dublin, California that is developing advanced nanofluidic sample preparation and analytical instrumentation for Life Sciences, Applied Sciences, and Diagnostics markets. These solution are based on MBI’s proprietary “NanoBioProcessorsupTM platform and associated “Microscale-on-Chip-Valves” (MOVTM). More details can be found on the Company’s website: www.microchipbiotech.com.
Microchip Biotechnologies Inc., (MBI), today announced the signing of an exclusive license agreement with the University of California for US patent 6,623,613, “Microfabricated Liquid Sample Loading System” and related patent applications developed by Professor Richard Mathies and his team at U. C. Berkeley. Financial details of the transaction were not released.
“I am delighted to have secured this license agreement with the University,” said Stevan Jovanovich, President and CEO of MBI. “It is foundational to MBI’s ongoing development of a groundbreaking, nanofluidics platform for the construction of integrated devices.”
About Microchip Biotechnologies
Microchip Biotechnologies Inc. is an early-stage, privately-held company located in Dublin, California that is developing advanced nanofluidic sample preparation and analytical instrumentation for the Genomics and Biodefense markets. These solutions are based on MBI’s proprietary ‘NanoBioProcessorTM’ platform and associated ‘Microscale-on-Chip Valves’ (MOVTM) technology. More details can be found on the Company’s website: www.microchipbiotech.com.
About the University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley is one of the world’s premier research universities, committed to maintaining a research environment that fosters and nurtures creativity, and promotes education and public service. Berkeley is consistently rated among the top institutions in the world for the quality and breadth of its research enterprise, for the scholarly distinction of its faculty, and for the excellence of its academic programs. For more information about Berkeley, please visit its website at www.berkeley.edu
- Microchip Biotechnologies, Inc. Completes Series A Financing Round and Announces Development Agreement
Microchip Biotechnologies, Inc., (MBI), today announced the completion of its Series A investment round. $4.5 million in total funding was secured, which includes equity and amounts based on further product development components. The round was co-led by In-Q-Tel, the independent strategic venture capital fund that identifies innovative technologies to support the missions of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the larger Intelligence Community, and RONA Syndicates LLC, a privately held Silicon Valley-based venture investment group. MBI is focused on commercializing products based on a patent-pending Microscale On-chip ValveTM (MOVTM) nanofluidic platform.
“The strategic investment by In-Q-Tel is a significant validation of MBI’s MOVTM technology and our goal to leverage this platform in field-portable, integrated solutions,” said Dr. Stevan Jovanovich, President and CEO of MBI. “We are delighted to secure the Series A funding that will enable us to bring our first microchip-based products to market.”
The proceeds will accelerate the development efforts of MBI’s first commercial products, develop portable forensics devices for DNA typing, and fund the critical infrastructure necessary for rapid prototyping and manufacturing of nanofluidic microchips.
“MBI is developing a breakthrough nanofluidic platform that may ultimately transform many integrated solutions that are integral to today’s large laboratory-based systems,” said Scott Yancey, President and CEO of In-Q-Tel. “MBI’s technology also has the potential to create a tipping point in the development of field-portable integrated solutions and next-generation laboratory instrumentation, providing high value technology solutions for both federal and commercial markets.”
About Microchip Biotechnologies
Microchip Biotechnologies, Inc. is an early-stage, privately-held company located in Dublin, California that is developing advanced nanofluidic sample preparation and analysis instrumentation for the genomics, biodefense, and forensics markets. These solutions are based on MBI’s proprietary NanoBioProcessor™ platform and associated ‘Microscale-on-Chip Valves™’ (MOV™) technology. More details can be found on the company’s website: www.microchipbiotech.com.
About In-Q-Tel
In-Q-Tel is a private, independent, not-for-profit strategic venture capital fund established by the CIA. Launched in 1999, In-Q-Tel's mission is to identify and invest in companies developing cutting-edge technologies that serve United States national security interests. Working from an evolving strategic blueprint defining the Intelligence Community's critical technology needs, In-Q-Tel engages with entrepreneurs, growth companies, researchers, and venture capitalists to deliver technologies that provide superior capabilities for the CIA and the larger Intelligence Community. In-Q-Tel concentrates on three broad commercial technology areas: software, infrastructure and material sciences. To date, In-Q-Tel has engaged with more than 90 companies and delivered more than 130 technology solutions to the Intelligence Community. To learn more about In-Q-Tel, please visit www.in-q-tel.org.
About RONA Syndicates LLC
RONA Syndicates LLC is a privately held, Silicon Valley-based venture investment group. The RONA investment team also invested in ParAllele Biosciences, a genotyping company acquired by Affymetrix in 2005 and most recently in NextBio, a Life Sciences Bioinformatics company.
Further information
For further information contact Dr. Barney E. Saunders, CCO at MBI at barney.saunders@microchipbiotech.com.
- DOD Awards Microchip Biotechnologies SBIR Phase II for Biodefense Device
The US Department of Defense, through its Army Edgewood Chemical and Biological Center (ECBC), has awarded Microchip Biotechnologies Inc. (MBI), of Dublin, CA, a $365,000 SBIR Phase II one year contract to continue development of its NanoBioSentinelTM for a hand-held nanofluidic device to detect biowarfare agents. The prototype will include functionality for sample concentration, preparation, and processing. The award is renewable for a second year for a further $265,000, bringing the total potential value of the contract to $730,000.
The objective of the NanoBioSentinel effort is to design, build, test and commercialize an advanced nanofluidic, microchip-based, automated nucleic acid and immunoassay analyzer. The NanoBioSentinel will input liquid samples from aerosol samplers, wipes and other sources and will implement bead-based techniques to capture and purify target organisms. Following capture and cleanup, two orthogonal analyses will be performed on-chip to detect threats at extremely low false positive rates.
“This Phase II award validates MBI’s vision for the NanoBioSentinel, an integrated solution that will both prepare and analyze bioagent samples at great sensitivity,” said Stevan Jovanovich, MBI’s President and CEO. “It will exploit nanofluidics to enable multi-dimensional analysis with excellent sensitivities and exquisitely low false alarm rates. This award validates the strong technical progress made during the Phase I SBIR project.”
About MBI: Microchip Biotechnologies Inc. is an early-stage, privately-held company located in Dublin, California that is developing advanced nanofluidic sample preparation and analytical instrumentation for the Genomics and Biodefense markets. These solutions are based on MBI’s proprietary NanoBioProcessor™ platform. More details can be found on the Company’s website: www.microchipbiotech.com.
- LabRAT at LabAutomation2006
Dr. Richard Belcinski's Presentation at LabAutomation 2006 in Palm Springs.
Abstract of the talk:
LabRAT.NET: A Dual-Layer Instrument Control and Automation Framework.
Richard Belcinski and Roger McIntosh. Silicon Valley Scientific Inc., Dublin, CA
Standards-based approaches to automation typically use an open messaging format and a "simple" command set that ostensibly describes the actions of a wrapped instrument or software package. The command set reflects assumptions made about the underlying instrument state transition model. Messages normally induce state transitions, and robustness is gained in part by having strict control over the conditions under which each message is handled.
The difficulty with this approach is that a generic state model often cannot cover all automation contingencies in a clean and elegant manner, especially when older instruments are addressed. The problem appears when two instruments or software packages are tightly coupled and operate within a single state of their transition model. Developers wishing to utilize their chosen integration framework must then make difficult choices to implement synchronization mechanisms that avoid state transitions.
To solve this problem, we propose a dual-layer, approach to building instrument wrappers. In the first layer, XML documents describe the instrument state transition model without compromise. These documents describe a “method” interface by which sequences of messages (and their input data) may be posted to the state machine to drive it. In the second layer, a higher-level generic message-handling state machine exposes the method interface to the lab automation framework which is visible during service discovery. Thus developers can preserve the uniqueness of their instruments without confronting the limitations of their automation framework. We describe our implementation in the Laboratory Rapid Automation Toolkit (LabRAT) software package and illustrate it's function and utility.
- Microchip Biotechnologies awarded HSARPA SBIR Grant
June 1, 2005
Microchip Biotechnologies has been awarded an HSARPA SBIR Grant in the amount of $100,000 for work entitled "Development of an Advanced Fluidic Sample Bioprocessor". Project period for this work is 6/1/05 through 12/15/05.
Reference: www.hsarpasbir.com
- Microchip Biotechnologies awarded $6.1 M by NHGRI to develop next generation DNA sequencing system
This collaborative project is aimed at the development of a MINDS that efficiently integrates all of the major steps in DNA sequencing, from library construction to final sequence output exploiting low-cost microfluidic devices. The automated MINDS system will combine three fundamental steps: 1) library construction, amplification, and selection using microbead colony technologies; 2) nanoliter cycle sequencing sample preparation and purification; and 3) microfabricated capillary array electrophoresis (µCAE)-based separation of DNA sequencing fragments. The library construction and amplification process will input sheared, sized DNA fragments and construct an emulsion PCR amplified library of template on beads, with each bead representing a single DNA fragment. Single beads will then be processed in a 25 nL cycle sequencing reactor to produce fluorescently labeled sequencing fragments that are efficiently captured, concentrated and purified using on-chip affinity capture. The fragments are then separated and sized on a proven microfabricated µCAE sequencer.
This project will combine the efforts of Microchip Biotechnologies Inc. (MBI) with subcontracts to three collaborating academic institutions. MBI will develop a prototype microchip-based DNA sample preparation nanoscale thermal cycling module and a prototype µCAE sequencing system using conventional sequencing chemistries. These will then be integrated to produce a MINDS microchip with arrays of 25 nL cycle sequencing sample preparation, affinity purification, and µCAE sequencing. When this has been accomplished, by 30 months, MBI will further integrate microbead-based library technology being developed by the Mathies laboratory at UC Berkeley to create MINDS System prototypes ready for beta-testing. These developments will build upon novel methods and strategies developed in tandem by the academic collaborators, in particular the µCAE separation system and bead-based microfluidic "cloning" methods. A subcontract to the Mathies lab at UC Berkeley will support the development of new microtechnologies for the amplification and selection of clones, and the integration of these methods and processes with prototype microfabricated sequencing systems. In collaboration with the Mathies group, the Barron lab at Northwestern will develop and test novel DNA separation matrices that are easily loaded into and replaced from chip microchannels, and that provide rapid, high-resolution separations. The overall project goal is to develop and then beta test a fully integrated, prototype Sanger sequencing system at the Ju lab of the Columbia Genome Center to demonstrate the feasibility of performing genomic sequencing and resequencing at 100-fold lower cost with an anticipated throughput of about 7 million bases/day/machine.
The MINDS system will greatly reduce the cost of shotgun sequencing and resequencing, by exploiting the ability of well established µCAE devices to analyze sub-nanoliter volumes through preparation of samples in volumes more closely matched to the analytical requirements, reducing cycle sequencing reagent consumption by 100-fold. Library construction will be automated in the bead-based format, with amplification and selection performed at full scale in a single bulk reaction, again reducing reagent consumption and cost. A novel polymeric separation matrix designed for microchips already shows good performance and, along with microfluidic volume reductions, will minimize matrix expense. With these combined innovations, the MINDS system will drive CAE instrumentation close to the ultimate performance possible for four-color Sanger fluorescent DNA sequencing in an ultra-high-throughput implementation for genome centers. Future work will explore the development of lower-throughput versions appropriate for core and individual laboratories.
- MBI awarded Phase I SBIR by the Department of the Army
October 10, 2004 - MBI is currently completing a Phase I SBIR awarded on May 13, 2004 to develop a Pathogen Bioprocessor for the Chemical and Biological Defense (CBD) program. The SBIR Phase I award was for a six month phase I project with a $70,000 budget.
The threat of bioterrorism has increased the demand for advanced technologies to rapidly and accurately detect and identify numerous pathogens at the species and strain level in air, water, food and other matrices. Advanced automated instrumentation with low operating costs that can be rapidly adaptable to new pathogens or agents is required. This proposal describes rapid application of microfluidics and microchips to develop and deploy advanced sample preparation systems.
In Phase I, a disposable front-end sample concentration module is developed to input milliliter volumes and concentrate to 10 microliters for input to a sample preparation module. The sample concentration module will elute the concentrated sample into the sample preparation module which will have disposable plastic microchip cartridges in a CD format. The microchips will incorporate existing micropumps and valves to move samples into chambers for reactions to process nucleic acids, proteins, and particles. Each microchip will have 12 single use bioprocessors units that also have archiving capabilities. Sample processing will be controlled by external device containing pneumatic actuators, temperature control, syringe pumps to add reagents, and sonication to disrupt spores and cells. The technology will be the basis of sample preparation and analysis systems for pathogen detection, diagnostics and biodefense.
MICROCHIP BIOTECHNOLOGIES, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
WEBSITE DESIGN & HOSTING BY ONLINE DESIGN, INC.