NEW YORK (GenomeWeb News) – Luminex said after the close of the market on Thursday it has been awarded a contract by the US Department of Defense to develop a prototype instrument for the rapid detection of biothreat agents and patient response biomarkers that may indicate systemic disease.
Under the three-and-a-half year contract for up to $11.6 million, Luminex will develop a hand-held instrument capable of detecting protein and nucleic acid targets to help diagnose Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome, which the company said results from "blood infection in conventional combat, biowarfare, and combat operations in developing and resource-limited areas."
"Rapid response and informed decisions on therapeutic options are critical in managing biothreat agent exposure," Amy Altman, vice president of Luminex Biodefense, said in a statement. "The flexibility and scalability of our multiplexing technology allow for the measurement of RNA, DNA and proteins with the same system, aiding rapid and accurate diagnosis of these severe conditions. Development of a field deployable device using our technology has the potential to provide significant advancement in biothreat detection."
The contract to Luminex supports efforts carried out by the Department of Defense's Defense Threat Reduction Agency.