MiTeGen Awarded $185K NIH Phase I STTR Grant to Develop Hyperquenching Devices
Mitegen LLC, a provider of innovative consumables for X-ray diffraction, crystallography and protein crystallization to academic, pharmaceutical, industrial and government researchers around the world, has been awarded a Phase I STTR (small business technology transfer program) award from the NIH (National Institute of Health) for the development of a rapid crystal cooling device (“hyperquencher”) for cryocrystallography.
Ithaca, NY, June 15, 2012 --(PR.com)-- The funding to begin June 1, 2011 and continue through until May 31, 2013 will support development of a liquid-nitrogen-based hyperquenching cooling device based on technology developed at Cornell University and under exclusive license to Mitegen.
This technology allows cooling rates achieved during plunge cooling of protein and small molecule crystals to be increased by a factor of 20 over current standard cryocrystallographic practice. These faster cooling rates allow successful ice-free cooling without penetrating cryoprotectants. Mitegen’s goal is to develop a low-cost, automated bench-top unit that provides faster, safer and more reproducible crystal cooling, and that will allow more systematic optimization of crystal diffraction to achieve the highest resolution molecular structures possible.
“Hyperquenching technology promises to address a major source of irreproducibility in diffraction outcomes, to simplify identification of satisfactory cryoprotection conditions, and to increase the throughput of diffraction pipelines,” says Robert Thorne, Chairman and CTO of Mitegen. “Our goal is to deliver a low-cost bench-top device that sits beside the crystal harvesting station and that every lab can afford.”
“Mitegen continues its tradition of innovation and advancement in tools for scientists and researchers,” according to Robert Newman, CEO of Mitegen. “We are grateful to the NIH for the financial support required to develop this promising technology into effective products for research scientists worldwide. This project promises to bring significant advancement to methods and capabilities in cryocrystallography and other sciences requiring the controlled freezing of small specimens.”
About Mitegen
Mitegen designs, manufactures and distributes products for crystallization, crystallography and X-ray diffraction of proteins, viruses and small molecule/inorganic compounds, and for manipulation and measurement of small samples in cell biology, histology, clinical diagnostics, entomology, archaeology, art restoration and geology. Our customers include academic, medical, pharmaceutical, government and industrial laboratories in more than 40 countries.
Founded in 2004, Mitegen is based in Ithaca, NY. More information can be found at mitegen.com
This technology allows cooling rates achieved during plunge cooling of protein and small molecule crystals to be increased by a factor of 20 over current standard cryocrystallographic practice. These faster cooling rates allow successful ice-free cooling without penetrating cryoprotectants. Mitegen’s goal is to develop a low-cost, automated bench-top unit that provides faster, safer and more reproducible crystal cooling, and that will allow more systematic optimization of crystal diffraction to achieve the highest resolution molecular structures possible.
“Hyperquenching technology promises to address a major source of irreproducibility in diffraction outcomes, to simplify identification of satisfactory cryoprotection conditions, and to increase the throughput of diffraction pipelines,” says Robert Thorne, Chairman and CTO of Mitegen. “Our goal is to deliver a low-cost bench-top device that sits beside the crystal harvesting station and that every lab can afford.”
“Mitegen continues its tradition of innovation and advancement in tools for scientists and researchers,” according to Robert Newman, CEO of Mitegen. “We are grateful to the NIH for the financial support required to develop this promising technology into effective products for research scientists worldwide. This project promises to bring significant advancement to methods and capabilities in cryocrystallography and other sciences requiring the controlled freezing of small specimens.”
About Mitegen
Mitegen designs, manufactures and distributes products for crystallization, crystallography and X-ray diffraction of proteins, viruses and small molecule/inorganic compounds, and for manipulation and measurement of small samples in cell biology, histology, clinical diagnostics, entomology, archaeology, art restoration and geology. Our customers include academic, medical, pharmaceutical, government and industrial laboratories in more than 40 countries.
Founded in 2004, Mitegen is based in Ithaca, NY. More information can be found at mitegen.com
Contact
Mitegen, LLC
Robert Newman
877-648-3436
www.mitegen.com
Robert Newman
877-648-3436
www.mitegen.com
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