Rheonix, Inc., is displaying its Chemical and Reagent Device (CARD) and EncompassMDx molecular testing platform at the AMP conference this week. The Rheonix CARD is a disposable cartridge the size of a credit card that runs multiple samples simultaneously without user intervention. Once a raw sample is placed on the CARD, the automated EncompassMDx platform runs through the process of sample extraction, DNA purification, amplification, and detection. Company spokespersons assert that the sample-to-result solution eliminates the need for multiple pieces of existing equipment, helping to make the testing process quicker, more efficient, less expensive, and less likely to result in human error.
Rheonix recently entered into a joint development agreement with Life Technologies, provider of life sciences and diagnostics solutions, to supply its CARD technology for use in an automated testing platform for the food safety industry. Based on this joint agreement, the company recently received a $500,000 Research (SBIR) Phase IIB grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF). The funding augments the $650,000 the company previously received in NSF SBIR Phase I, Phase IB, and Phase II funding for this project. It will allow Rheonix to expand the capabilities of its pathogen detection system from the evaluation of recreational water to detection of pathogens in food and beverage markets. Read more about the EncompassMDx platform.
