October 17, 2012

Claremont BioSolutions, LLC, pioneer of micromotor-based rapid sample preparation devices, today announced a strategic partnership and technology development agreement with In-Q-Tel (IQT) to accelerate commercialization of its Prep-on-a-Chip sample preparation platform. IQT, based in Arlington, VA, is the independent strategic investment firm that identifies, adapts, and delivers, technologies that support the missions of the US intelligence community.

Claremont BioSolutions has harnessed the mechanical energy of micromotors used in the cell phone industry to create entirely disposable sample preparation devices that efficiently lyse any cell type, and simultaneously extract DNA or RNA. The battery-powered devices are currently hand-operated using a syringe or pipettor to transport the sample through a small chamber where cells are lysed, and nucleic acids are extracted in less than five minutes.

"The In-Q-Tel investment will aid us in our mission to multiplex and automate the handling of the devices, completing our development of the Prep-on-a-Chip platform" Gary Blackburn, CEO, said in a statement. "The technology is unique in that it can be readily integrated into disposable diagnostic cartridges, making POC and field-use of molecular diagnostics a realizable goal."

"Claremont BioSolutions has taken an innovative approach to nucleic acid extraction," said Syd Ulvick, Senior Vice President in charge of Physical and Biological Technologies at IQT, "We believe that further development of this technology will provide valuable capabilities for both the public and private sector."

About Claremont BioSolutions

Claremont BioSolutions is a privately held, emerging growth technology company specializing in disposable devices that provide solutions to what is recognized as the "bottleneck" of DNA diagnostics — sample preparation. The company has developed proprietary devices which employ micromotors to perform very efficient mechanical cell lysis and DNA purification. For more information, please visit www.claremontbio.com.