MIT Outlicenses Biosensor Technology

New biosensor technology that can be used for extremely rapid testing of analytes, developed by researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Cambridge, MA, USA), has been licensed to Innovative Biosensors, Inc. (Gaithersburg, MD, USA).

Called Canary, the technology uses cells of the immune system that have been engineered to express recombinant antibodies specific to the antigen of interest as well as a protein-based emitter molecule in the cell's cytosol. The binding of the antigen to the engineered antibody on the cell's surface results in light emission, detectable in a sensitive and rapid fashion by a small optical detection device. This approach allows for rapid testing with previously unseen levels of sensitivity and specificity.

The license gives Innovative Biosensors exclusive rights to use the technology in the fields of human and animal clinical diagnostics, food testing, and sales to the life science research market. The license also makes Innovative Biosensors the only company allowed to develop, manufacture, and sell instruments and kits using the cell-based biosensor technology in these fields. Innovative Biosensors is developing novel technologies for the rapid detection of pathogens.

"We are extremely delighted to have obtained rights to this novel and revolutionary technology and will move quickly to commercialize much-needed rapid, sensitive, and specific assays for the detection of infectious organisms,” said Joe Hernandez, founder and CEO of Innovative Biosensors.




Related Links:
MIT
Innovative Biosensors