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The MLSC awarded a grant of $250,000 per year for three years to Dr. DavidWeitz, Mallinckrodt Professor of Physics and Applied Physics at Harvard'sSchool of Engineering and Applied Sciences and Physics Department, andRainDance Technologies of Lexington, Mass., to develop and demonstrate the useof a new form of fluorescence activated cell sorter (FACS) used to collectbiochemical information about individual cells. The researchers hope toexplore new applications of FACS that have not yet been feasible, from basicbiology and medical studies to drug development.
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"The grant award is particularly dramatic for us as it represents entryinto new and exciting applications of our ground-breaking RainStorm(TM)microdroplet-based technology," said Chris McNary, President and ChiefExecutive Officer of RainDance Technologies.
"To date, we have focused application of our RainStorm(TM) micro-droplettechnology, which produces picoliter-volume droplets at a rate of 10 millionper hour, in two key areas: One, the targeted resequencing of the humangenome -- stirring significant interest and excitement in one of thefastest-growing segments of the $1 billion DNA sequencing market -- and two,the development of the next generation of high-throughput screening (HTS) andsmall molecule storage for the drug discovery market," McNary said.
"In effect, the MLSC grant -- awarded after rigorous review by the LifeSciences Center's Scientific Advisory Board -- recognizes the even broadercapabilities of droplet biology for its potential to accelerate health andhuman disease research," McNary said.
According to Dr. Weitz, the grant will allow his lab to work withRainDance Technologies to develop a new form of fluorescence assisted cellsorter (FACS). "This research is an important continuation of thedroplet-based microfluidics technology that was pioneered at HarvardUniversity and is now being commercialized by RainDance," Dr. Weitz said.
McNary noted that the project will "further advance the growth of dropletbiology and the positioning of RainDance and Harvard as one of the world'sinnovation centers for this important technology -- as well as bolster thegoals of the State's Life Sciences Initiative and further positionMassachusetts as a biotech industry leader."
McNary commended the MLSC and reiterated his praise for the State's $1Billion Life Sciences Initiative "as the stimulus for RainDance's decision torelocate to Lexington, Mass., from out of state this May."
Dr. Weitz called the grant "an excellent example of a partnership betweenthe state government, local industry and academia to combine basic researchwith commercial development that brings economic value and jobs to the state,while benefiting society by providing important new technologies for healthcare. I am grateful to the State of Massachusetts and to the MLSC for theirsupport."
"The Cooperative Research Grant Program builds on the Center's strategy ofusing public investments to leverage private sector resources as we pursue ourdual mission of job creation, and support for good science that will improvethe human condition," said Dr. Susan Windham Bannister, President & CEO of theMLSC. "We were thrilled that RainDance Technologies cited the Life SciencesAct as one of their reasons for moving to Massachusetts, and we are pleased tosupport this worthy collaborative research project, which holds promise forboth job creation and important advancements in scientific knowledge."
RainDance Technologies was one of six projects funded for a total of $3.7million, and was selected out of a total of twenty seven that were submittedfor consideration by the MLSC. The awards will be matched dollar-for-dollarby the industry partners involved with each collaboration.
The grants were created to fund collaborations between scientists,academic institutions and industry that "promise significant commercialpotential in the near term and are scientifically meritorious," according tothe MLSC.
About RainDance Technologies, Inc.
RainDance Technologies Inc. is a provider of innovative microdroplet-basedsolutions for human health and disease research. The speed and simplicity ofthe company's exciting new technology platform enable researchers to designexperiments in ways that were previously unaffordable or unimaginable. Thecompany's RainStorm(TM) technology produces picoliter-volume droplets at arate of 10 million per hour. Each droplet is the functional equivalent of anindividual test tube and can contain a single molecule, reaction, or cell.This versatile technology can adapt proven assays for high-speed workflowswith minimized process-induced bias or error.
RainDance's initial application will focus on the targeted resequencing ofthe human genome -- one of the fastest-growing segments of the $1 billion DNAsequencing market. This application will enable the high-resolution analysisof genetic variation between individuals and populations at a level unmatchedby current methodology.
RainDance was founded in 2004 by scientists from Harvard University; theMedical Research Centre in Cambridge, England and the ESPCI in Paris.For more information, please visit http://www.RainDancetech.com.
RainStorm(TM) is a trademark of RainDance Technologies, Inc.Available Topic Expert(s): For information on the listed expert(s), clickappropriate link.Steven Beckerhttps://profnet.prnewswire.com/Subscriber/ExpertProfile.aspx?ei=78145
SOURCE RainDance Technologies, Inc.
