Eureka Genomics Lands a DHS Phase II Award

After successfully completing a DHS Phase I contract, Eureka Genomics has been awarded a $750,000 Phase II SBIR from The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology (S&T), to be completed by June 2013. According to Dr. Viacheslav Fofanov, Director of Bioinformatics for Eureka Genomics, “The ability to detect the presence of rare variants (either known or previously uncharacterized) in cell populations (viral, bacterial, and eukaryotic) could lead to significant improvements in the ability to fingerprint a sample and, as a consequence, provide vital information for the investigation and prosecution of bioterrorism attacks or attempts. In addition to forensic applications, the ability to detect rare or minority variants in bacterial and viral populations can significantly contribute to understanding of the complex host-pathogen interaction process and lead to new ways to diagnose and treat infections caused by microorganisms such as HIV, HCV, and Mycobacterium tuberculosis and cancers where there are multiple choice of therapeutics.”

The development of novel methods for the detection of microorganisms is part of Eureka Genomics main research and business focus. The Company is currently working on the identification of microorganisms associated with colorectal cancer, in collaboration with Baylor Research Institute, and the identification of microorganisms associated with preterm birth.