 |
Sionex Corporation Participates
in Consortium Awarded a $25 Million NIH Grant for Mass Screening
of Radiation Exposure
BEDFORD, MA
September 14, 2005
Sionex Corporation, a high technology company focused on commercializing
breakthrough chemical and biological sensor chips and systems based
on its proprietary microDMxTM detection technology, today announced
that it is participating in a consortium which has been awarded
a $25 Million grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious
Diseases (NIAID) through the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
The consortium, headed by Columbia University Medical Center, has
been awarded a major grant to develop new technologies to rapidly
screen large numbers of people for radiation exposure in the event
of a terrorist attack on a nuclear facility or detonation of a radiological
“dirty bomb”.
"We are delighted that our proposed technologies have been
selected for this grant to help provide rapid, targeted triage following
a radiation event," said David J. Brenner, Ph.D., D.Sc., professor
of radiation oncology and public health, Center for Radiological
Research, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons.
Dr. Brenner is the principal investigator of the consortium.
Over the next five years, the team will develop new devices that
can assess, rapidly following a potentially catastrophic radiological
incident, the radiation doses received by hundreds of thousands
of individuals.
“The role of Sionex in this consortium is to lead the development
and commercialization of a handheld device for non-invasive screening
for radiation exposure,” said Anthony D. Bashall, VP of Marketing
& Business Development at Sionex Corporation. “The device
will analyze sweat, urine or saliva samples to detect and identify
metabolites which are indicative of radiation exposure. Our proprietary
technology is currently being used to detect chemical & biological
warfare agents, explosives, toxic compounds and narcotics with low
cost handheld or highly portable devices.”
The eight participants involved in the research consortium are:
Columbia University Medical Center (lead institution); Harvard University
School of Public Health; Arizona State University's Biodesign Institute;
the National Cancer Institute; University of Sionex Corporation
is a high technology company focused on commercializing breakthrough
chemical and biological sensor chips and systems based on its proprietary
microDMxTM detection technology.
Pittsburgh Medical Center; Translational Genomics Research Institute;
Sionex
Corporation; and the City of New York Department of Health and Mental
Hygiene.
About Sionex Corporation
Sionex maintains its worldwide headquarters and laboratories in
Bedford, Massachusetts, close to Boston with its commercial, technology
and communications infrastructure. The Company is privately held
and was founded in 2001 with patented technology exclusively licensed
from The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory. Additional information
about Sionex Corporation is available at www.sionex.com
or by calling 781-457-5400 or fax to 781-457-5399.
Forward-looking Statement
Some statements in this announcement constitute forward-looking
statements. Forward- looking statements involve known and unknown
risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual
results, performance or achievements of Sionex Corporation to be
materially different from any future results, performance or achievements
expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. There can
be no assurance that the forward-looking statements included in
this announcement will prove to be accurate. In light of the significant
uncertainties inherent in the forward-looking statements included
herein, the inclusion of this information should not be regarded
as a representation by the Company or any other person that the
objectives and plans of the Company will be achieved.
microDMxTM is a trademark of Sionex
Corporation.
|
 |
|