GenTel BioSurfaces awarded more than $900K in small business innovation research grants

Five Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grants totaling more than $900,000 have been awarded to GenTel BioSurfaces, Inc. in 2004 by the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation, company officials announced today (Thursday, July 15).

GenTel received assistance in preparing its grant applications from the Wisconsin Department of Commerce as well as the Office of Corporate Relations at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

GenTel BioSurfaces is a privately held UW–Madison spin-off company that specializes in the development, manufacture and distribution of biochips for life sciences, pharmaceutical and diagnostics research. A biochip is a collection of miniaturized test sites arrayed on a solid surface that permits many tests to be performed simultaneously.

The SBIR program is a highly competitive federal government program that supports research by small companies in critical parts of the economy. “SBIR funding will help us accelerate new product development without jeopardizing support for our existing product lines,” says Bryce Nelson, chief scientific officer of GenTel. “High risk, high reward projects are often beyond the means of many small businesses like ours. SBIR funding enables us to take on these challenging projects.”

Among the technologies for which funds were awarded is the development of a test kit that will be used to aid in the rapid diagnosis and subsequent treatment of allergy sufferers. “The end result,” Nelson says, “is an innovative and rapid allergy test that will be quantitative, easy-to-use and affordable for most any clinical or research setting.” When finalized, this method of diagnosis could replace the current time-consuming and painful method.

GenTel’s biochip-based allergy diagnostic is one of five technologies selected for funding by the SBIR program. Other GenTel projects funded under this program in 2004 include new technologies for faster and more efficient protein research, new methods for the study of gene regulation, and simplified analysis tools for life science research.

GenTel BioSurfaces, Inc. was founded in 2000 and is located in the University Research Park. The company’s technology is centered on surface chemistries for life sciences and encompasses microfluidics, detection techniques and biochip applications development.

For more information about GenTel BioSurfaces, Inc., please contact Alex D. Vodenlich, president, at (608) 217-5587 or alex@gentelbio.com or Sarah Botham, Front Porch Communications, at (608) 924-2625 or sfbotham@mhtc.net.