Kanjorski Announces $1 Million for Biotechnology Research

Project Includes SCHOTT North America

and The University of Scranton

Duryea, Pa. - Congressman Paul E. Kanjorski (PA-11) today announced that he secured $1 million in the defense appropriations bill for SCHOTT North America for research and development of a fully automated system for detecting the presence of biological agents. SCHOTT plans to actively collaborate with The University of Scranton, among other entities, for this project. This proposed diagnostic system would vastly improve the ability of the Defense Department to determine and/or confirm the nature and severity of a biological attack in a timelier manner.

The system involves a glass microarray platform divided into 96 sections. A sample containing DNA from biological agents, such as bacteria or spores, would be placed into each of the sections so that 96 tests could be run simultaneously to identify what pathogens were present in the sample. This multiplexed technology allows each of the 96 tests to potentially diagnose up to 2,000 pathogens. Currently, identification tests diagnose for a single pathogen and typically take from 24 to 72 hours or longer. This decreases the medical community's response time in treating patients who have been exposed to potentially deadly pathogens in the event of a biological attack. The multiplexed microarray platform would significantly reduce the identification and confirmation time and would also enable the simultaneous screening of biological samples for multiple pathogens.

"This innovative initiative has great implications for improving our nation's security. At a time when the threat of bioterrorism is very real, we must be prepared to identify the nature of such an attack in a sufficient and timely manner. I commend the scientists at SCHOTT for the proposal to develop a system capable of identifying multiple pathogens simultaneously using microarray technologies," Congressman Kanjorski said. "I also applaud the company's effort to collaborate with institutions of higher education and companies in Northeastern Pennsylvania, including the University of Scranton's Institute of Molecular Biology and Medicine. Additionally, the knowledge and data gained from this study could potentially lead to further biotechnology research in areas other than biowarfare, specifically in the area of innovative products for the pharmaceutical industry."

 "In a bioterrorism attack, authorities need to quickly and accurately determine which pathogenic biological warfare agents are being used if they hope to limit the attack's effect on the population," said Sam Conzone, Ph.D., Director of SCHOTT North America's Regional Research and Development. "This research grant gives us the opportunity to potentially help authorities reduce the damage caused by a bioterrorism attack by developing a low-cost, easy-to-use, highly sensitive tool to rapidly diagnose patients possibly infected by pathogens in such an attack."

"By combining the University of Scranton's genomic, proteomic and bioinformatic capabilities with SCHOTT's advanced multiplexed bioarray platform, this research grant will create a synergistic environment for developing high throughput pathogenic sensors," said Stephen Krenitsky, Vice President and Site Manager, Optics for Devices, SCHOTT North America, Inc. "In addition, this grant demonstrates that Northeast Pennsylvania possesses the academic and business resources needed to support cutting-edge biotech research."

"The University of Scranton is grateful to Congressman Kanjorski for securing the funding to support a project that harnesses the intellectual expertise and technological capabilities of our Institute for Molecular Biology and Medicine with the ingenuity and industrial expertise of SCHOTT," said Joseph H. Dreisbach, Ph.D., dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at The University of Scranton. "This venture will not only support efforts to develop cutting-edge, scientific advances, but will also allow for collaborative and educational opportunities for our students and faculty."