| Posted: January 15, 2009 |
Lab-in-a-cartridge for fast and accurate detection of cancer and infectious diseases |
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(Nanowerk News) Rapid, easy and affordable tests for
cancer, avian flu and other infectious diseases move a step closer to
patients as DYAMED Biotech Pte Ltd (Dyamed) licenses a unique all-inone
automated diagnostic system called MicroKit from the Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (IBN). As part of its agreement with
Exploit Technologies Pte Ltd (ETPL) – the A*STAR commercialization
arm – Dyamed will set up a spin-off company to develop and produce a
range of new diagnostic products.
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On January 16, 2009, Dyamed will sign the licensing agreement with ETPL for IBN’s
MicroKit technologies at the Start-Up @ Singapore Technopreneur’s Bootcamp in Biopolis.
The company was established by Theodore and Rose Tan in 1998 to distribute quality
medical diagnostic devices in Asia Pacific. Dyamed will spin off SG Molecular Diagnostics to
develop a range of diagnostic devices based on the MicroKit. The company expects to roll
out a molecular diagnostic real-time PCR platform called ‘MicroKit AIO’ as its first product for
the global market by 2010.
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Mr Theodore Tan, Managing Director and co-founder of Dyamed, said, “We are deeply
privileged to license this exciting technology which has the potential to make the mass
diagnosis of a whole host of diseases faster, better and cheaper. With the MicroKit platform,
we hope to make the diagnosis of infectious diseases and cancer more timely and
widespread, thus giving patients a much higher chance of combating their afflictions.”
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Cancer patients are among those who stand to benefit from the MicroKit’s sensitive and
accurate diagnostic capabilities, which enable early-stage disease detection from raw
biological samples. Professor Jackie Y. Ying, IBN Executive Director, who led the scientific
team that developed the MicroKit, elaborates, “Early detection of diseases such as cancer or
avian flu is critical to enhancing a patient’s chances of survival.
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The treatment of diseases at
the early stages is usually more effective and has a greater potential for improving the longterm
health of the patient. Our portable and automated MicroKit is also easy to operate and
may be used by non-clinical personnel for mass health screenings at strategic locations,
such as airports, to contain epidemics of infectious diseases like H5N1 avian flu.” The MicroKit was developed by IBN scientists Guolin Xu, James Hsieh, Daniel Lee and
Professor Ying.
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Notably, IBN’s device is able to handle a wide variety of samples, including tissues and body
fluids. It can perform automated gene extraction in just 6 minutes and gene detection within
an hour, enabling substantial cost and time savings. Disease detection with IBN’s MicroKit is
much faster than conventional laboratory testing, which requires 1 to 24 hours to complete.
Another key feature of IBN’s MicroKit is that all the molecular diagnostics processes are
carried out in a self-contained, compact cartridge that is preloaded with reagents, instead of
complex, time-consuming and labor-intensive laboratory processes. The disposable selfcontained
cartridge for individual biosample analysis avoids costly laboratory inaccuracies
caused by cross-contamination and human error.
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Professor Ying shared further, “By partnering with Dyamed, we hope to provide wider access
to affordable, accurate and effective tests for early diagnosis for cancer patients, as well as
infectious disease screening.” Clinical trials are currently being conducted for the prototype
MicroKit device.
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ETPL has worked closely with IBN to incubate the MicroKit technology over the past three
years and ETPL Chairman, Mr Boon Swan Foo, was pleased with this latest technology
commercialization venture.
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“The signing of this licence agreement bears good testimony to
the excellent market potential of A*STAR’s technologies. Exploit Technologies has
recognized MicroKit’s potential at an early stage. We are happy to see the fruits of our
incubation efforts in the form of a platform technology, upon which Dyamed can develop a
range of profitable diagnostic devices. This opens up a large global market for this
homegrown SME. I would also like to congratulate Dyamed for its foresight and business
acumen to spin off SG Molecular Diagnostics despite the bleak economic outlook. The ability
to spot market opportunities and the courage to launch a new business in the midst of the
current world economic turmoil is definitely a display of great technopreneurship which,
incidentally, is not lacking in Singaporeans. We will continue to engage Singapore
companies like Dyamed to help give birth to more Singapore blockbusters,” remarked Mr
Boon.
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About the Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology
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The Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (IBN) is a member of the Agency for
Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore. It was established in 2003.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Professor Jackie Yi Ru Ying, 42, was
handpicked by former A*STAR Chairman Philip Yeo to lead the institute as its Executive
Director in March 2003. She has been on MIT’s Chemical Engineering faculty since 1992,
and was promoted to Professor in 2001. She is among the youngest to be promoted to this
rank at MIT. Under her direction, IBN conducts research at the cutting-edge of
bioengineering and nanotechnology. Its programs are geared towards linking multiple
disciplines across all fields in engineering, science and medicine to produce research
breakthroughs that will improve healthcare and our quality of life.
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