The products currently in the marketplace to detect and identify such biological threats fail to provide a comprehensive solution for threat detection and, importantly, are not stable or scalable. Additionally, current testing methods are typically too specific to effectively screen for the broad range of potential agents. Current methods also may require specialized sample handling in a laboratory setting and take in excess of 24 hr. to produce results. The companies' products are expected to produce results on-site within 20 min. against a broad range of potential biological threats in a method that is environmentally stable and economically scalable.
Robert E. Carlson, Ph.D., President and Chief Science Officer at Receptors LLC, said, "Through our development partnership with VeriChip, we are focused on building an integrated suite of products that will identify a biological threat, from pandemic influenza and multiple-resistant pathogens like MRSA to food borne illnesses such as salmonella and E. coli. The combination of our CARA platform and VeriChip's signal transduction and communication capabilities provide both the technology and the expertise required to build the integrated bio-threat sensor system."
Scott R. Silverman, Chairman of VeriChip, said, "As we continue to build on our partnership with Receptors, which started with the development of a glucose-sensing RFID implantable microchip, we are moving beyond patient identification to sensors that can detect and identify illnesses and viruses such as influenza. This is an exciting next step for the future of our healthcare division."
Last week, VeriChip announced it has expanded its existing development partnership with Receptors, beyond the glucose-sensing RFID implantable microchip to include other biological and environmental applications. Receptors recently received Patent No. 7,504,364 titled "Methods of Making Arrays and Artificial Receptors" and Patent No. 7,469,076 "Sensors Employing Combinatorial Artificial Receptors," which are being applied to the development of diagnostic and sensor platforms for pathogens and other biological threats.
About Receptors
Receptors LLC is a private company based in Chaska, MN. Receptors' mission is to advance the diagnosis and treatment of disease and to enhance the health, safety, and quality of the global environment through the development and application of artificial receptor products for both research and industry. Receptors' Affinity by Design technology is the foundation of its Smart Materials product platform. Each product incorporates Receptors' core competence of surface functionalization for selective binding. This high-throughput approach to the development of stable, selective, and scalable binding environments can be tailored to any product and application. For further information, please email [email protected].
About VeriChip
VeriChip Corp., headquartered in Delray Beach, FL, has developed the VeriMed Health Link System for rapidly and accurately identifying people who arrive in an emergency room and are unable to communicate. This system uses the first human-implantable passive RFID microchip, cleared for medical use in October 2004 by the Food and Drug Administration. To complement its healthcare division, VeriChip Corp. established VeriGreen Energy Corp. in March 2009 to focus and invest in the clean and alternative energy sector. For more information on VeriChip, please call 800-970-2447 or e-mail [email protected].