Micronics Advances Point-of-Care Molecular Diagnostic Applications

Micronics Inc. (Redmond, WA, USA), a developer of point-of-care molecular and immunohematology diagnostic products, has entered into a license agreement with The Public Health Research Institute (PHRI) Properties, Inc., a nonprofit corporation wholly owned by the University of Medicine & Dentistry New Jersey (UMDNJ; Newark, NJ, USA) for the rights to Micronics' products that incorporate PHRI's molecular beacons technology.

Micronics' microfluidics technologies enable substantial reductions in the volume of a sample taken from a patient. The technologies also reduce the amount of reagents required to perform a nucleic acid amplification assay for the detection of the unique genes present in infectious disease pathogens.

Molecular beacons are specific probes developed at PHRI that fluoresce in a characteristic color if a target gene is present in a patient's sample. These probes are incorporated into Micronics' microfluidics cartridges for ease of use and prolonged storage at room temperature.

The cartridges can perform either single or multiplex pathogen detection. Each cartridge is processed by a lightweight, low-cost, battery-powered instrument with enabled software connectivity. Micronics' tests are designed to provide a result in less than thirty minutes, directly from sample acquisition in a sealed disposable cartridge.

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Micronics Inc.
Public Health Research Institute
University of Medicine & Dentistry New Jersey