Press Releases

VisiGen Awarded NIH SBIR for Biomolecule Labeling Method

(Houston, TX) VisiGen Biotechnologies, Inc., (VisiGen), announces the award of a Phase 1 SBIR grant from the National Institute of Health, National Institute of General Medical Sciences, to develop a novel method for labeling DNA, RNA and proteins. This method may be used to directly label RNA for microarray experiments at a fraction of the cost of current labeling methods.

Dr. Tommie Lincecum, lead researcher, commented, “This award will accelerate our efforts in developing products that improve the reliability of results from microarray analyses, while reducing costs. Additionally, VisiGen’s labeling method has interesting applications in analysis of microRNA, an area of research at the frontier of science.”

This SBIR award comes on the heals of a 3 year, $4.2 million award by the National Human Genome Research Institute to accelerate VisiGen's sequencing technology development.

About VisiGen

VisiGen, a privately-held company based in Houston, TX, is developing a radically new method of sequencing DNA that is projected to completely sequence a human genome in a day for the long-coveted target mark of $1000. Its technology is distinguished from other next generation sequencing technologies in that it exploits the natural process of DNA replication in a way that enhances accuracy without drastically impacting efficiency. VisiGen’s approach involves engineering both polymerase and nucleotide triphosphates to act together as direct molecular sensors of DNA base identity in real-time. The massively parallel nature of this technology enables sequence acquisition at rates approaching 1 million bases per second per machine.

Contact Information

Susan Hardin
President and CEO
VisiGen Biotechnologies, Inc.
shardin@visigenbio.com