InDevR, a Boulder-based biotechnology company that develops advanced life science instrumentation and assays for analysis of viruses and other microorganisms, announced today the launch revolutionary new technology for microbiological analysis. ampliPHOX, a colorimetric detection system that incorporates core technology licensed from the University of Colorado Technology Transfer Office, will enhance laboratories around the world by offering a cost effective and easy to use alternative to fluorescence detection.
ampliPHOX instrumentation costs less than one-tenth the price of typical fluorescence microarray readers. The ampliPHOX process relies on an innovative photopolymerization approach. Colorimetric readouts with equivalent sensitivity to fluorescence are delivered within minutes and results are visible to the naked eye. ampliPHOX works with any biotinylated target captured on a glass surface. The Journal of Visualized Experiments (JoVE), a peer reviewed scientific video journal, recently featured ampliPHOX for its powerful pathogen detection abilities.
"ampliPHOX offers an incredible opportunity for a wide range of laboratories at a fraction of the cost," Kathy Rowlen, PhD, CEO and co-founder of InDevR, said. "With this technology, scientists can unleash the tremendous potential of low density microarrays for a myriad of applications; everything from pathogen detection with nucleic acids to disease state profiling with proteins."
In addition to saving money for lab analyses, the small reader and laptop will also save space, said Rowlen. ampliPHOX weighs just 3 pounds, is intended for easy transport and convenient storage in a lab and requires little on-site training.
"ampliPHOX is a product that will change the way technology works in labs around the world," said David Allen, PhD, associate vice president for technology transfer at CU. "CU technology contributed to this innovative product that will save money and time for countless scientists, which is especially helpful in our current economy."
Rowlen added that ampliPHOX is a success story for small business in America. "The intellectual property was licensed by InDevR from the University of Colorado; research and development was funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease; and I am especially pleased that the State of Colorado believed enough in InDevR to provide a small, but extremely helpful commercialization grant through the forward thinking BioScience Discovery Grant program. The result is a new technology on the market and new jobs in Colorado."
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