Detection Device Funding Secured By Ionian Technologies and the KEck Graduate Institute

Ionian Technologies, Inc. has been awarded a $2.7 million contract for development of a rapid, hand-held biothreat detector. The device will have applications with military and civilian first responder personnel by enabling rapid and efficient response times to potential bioterrorist attacks

The ESPARTM rapid detection technology used in the project was first discovered in the Galas Laboratory at the Keck Graduate Institute (KGI), Claremont, one of the subcontractors on the project, and is licensed to Ionian. Northrop Grumman is the prime contractor for the program under the guidance of the Department of Defense's (DoD's) Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), through the Defense Microelectronics Activity's (DMEA) Advanced Technology Support Program (ATSP2).

Ionian's role in the project will focus primarily on assay and chemistry development for detection of biological warfare agents using novel, rapid nucleic acid amplification technology. "The award of the contract is a significant milestone for Ionian. We look forward to working with such reputable partners in the blothreat detection arena," commented Ionian's director of applications development, Ed Sheldon, Pb.D. Ionian Technologies is a biotechnology firm focused on molecular diagnostics for emerging and infectious diseases