InDevr, a Boulder, Colo.-based life sciences company, this week said it is working with scientists in the influenza division of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta to develop an influenza microarray assay.
Specifically, InDevr and CDC scientists are working to develop a low-density microarray capable of screening influenza A viruses for genetic reassortment. The microarray will be coupled with InDevr's AmpliPhox colorimetric detection system, the company said. Rather than a fluorescent label, InDevr's new AmpliPhox system uses a photoinitiator that, when activated by light, generates signal amplification through polymerization of an organic monomer.
CEO Kathy Rowlen said in a statement that the combination of the CDC's expertise in flu surveillance and the new detection system "could greatly enhance global influenza surveillance efforts" and will "provide essential and time-critical information for vaccine preparation."
Founded by University of Colorado Boulder scientists in 2003, InDevr is one of a number of firms, including CombiMatrix, TessArae, ArrayIt, and Veredus Laboratories, that have developed arrays for influenza monitoring (BAN 5/5/2009).
Since its establishment, the company has focused on developing flow cytometer- and array-based tools for virus quantification and pathogen detection. The firm currently sells a portable array called FluChip to detect and distinguish seasonal influenza A viruses from non-seasonal viruses. InDevr is also developing an array for respiratory virus monitoring called ResVChip, according to its website.