[Offtopic] single-molecule imaging and analytic platforms

[stephen at melbpc.org.au]

<http://www.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/stories/2008/03/24/daily18.html>

BioNanomatrix, a Philadelphia life sciences company aiming to make 
personalized genetic profiles available for $100, raised $5.1 million 
in a private stock sale Wednesday.

Michael Boyce-Jacino, BioNanomatrix's president and CEO, said the company
is developing nanoscale, single-molecule imaging and analytic platforms
designed to dramatically reduce the time and cost needed to analyze the 
human genome.

Battelle Ventures general partner Tracy Warren said the technology has the 
potential to enable widespread adoption of genomics-based medicine.

"BioNanomatrix has the potential to successfully commercialize a truly
disruptive technology -- one that could significantly reduce the time,
complexity and cost dynamics of sequencing the genome and carrying out
genetic analyses", Warren said.

"Today, the high cost and complexity of obtaining and analyzing gene data 
has greatly limited their broad utility in gene discovery, clinical 
diagnostics and pharmaceutical research and development, as well as for 
applying individual genomic data to disease prevention, diagnosis and 
treatment."

Last year, BioNanomatrix was awarded an $8.8 million U.S. federal grant
with its collaborator, Complete Genomics Inc. of Mountain View, Calif., to 
develop a system capable of producing a $100 genome.

The venture capital round was led by Battelle Ventures of Princeton, N.J.
Other investors included Valley Partners, KT Venture Group, Seed investors,
Ben Franklin Technology Partners and 21Ventures.
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Cheers people
Stephen Loosley
Victoria, Australia