Invitrogen Awarded $970K Contract by U.S. Department of Defense
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Invitrogen Corporation has announced that its subsidiary, Invitrogen Federal Systems, was awarded a $970K Technical Assistance Agreement by the U.S. Department of Defense to produce and validate protein microarrays to biothreat agents.
This work will be conducted under the direction of Dr. James Meegan, Senior Director of Research & Development at Invitrogen, and is designed to support the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command's (USAMRMC) mission to provide solutions to medical problems of importance to the American war fighter at home and abroad.
Invitrogen's ProtoArray™ protein microarrays consist of complete sets of pure, functional proteins from specific organisms spotted onto glass slides in a high density configuration.
Developed in 2001 as a means to significantly enhance the detection and analysis of biomolecular interactions, Invitrogen has commercialized this technology using protein sets derived from both the yeast and human genomes.
"These products have proven to be exceptionally useful in the assessment of protein:protein interactions and to facilitate autoimmune disease research," said Dr. Barry Schweitzer, Director, Protein Array Center, Invitrogen Corporation.
"Applications for this type of proteomic study continue to grow, creating the need for continuous advancement in research technologies. The evolution of the ProtoArray™ has paralleled this need and we will continue to advance this content moving forward."
"The protein arrays to be developed under this agreement will help to expedite the development of diagnostics, vaccines, and therapeutics and will help assess the level of protection and vulnerability of individuals and populations to threats by these specific biological agents," explained Claude Benchimol, PhD, Senior Vice President, Global Research & Development, Invitrogen Corporation.
"They will also enable the Department of Defense research community to explore the mechanism by which these microorganisms cause disease and the means by which man develops protective responses in new and unprecedented detail."
"The advantages this tool will provide the military community are directly translatable to protection of the civilian community against a bioterrorist attack."
