Biotech company gets funding to develop diagnostic kits

Thorold, ON, – Canadian biotechnology company Norgen Biotek says it has received funding of over $800,000 from the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC-IRAP).

The company focuses primarily on advancing tools for nucleic acids (NA) and protein purification and preservation, as well as developing diagnostic tools. The company says the funding will allow it to develop new point-of-care diagnostic technologies targeted for use in resource-limited settings. The technologies will be geared toward the development of non-invasive, urine-based, rapid detection systems for the diagnosis of a panel of sexually transmitted infections, in addition to other diseases such as tuberculosis. Norgen says it will be collaborating in this effort with an established Spanish diagnostic company in order to roll out and productize the newly developed technologies.