NIH Small Business Grant to Stimulate Technological Innovation

INDIANAPOLIS, March 2, 2009. Prosolia, Inc. was awarded a Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grant by the National Institute of Health (NIH) for the development of a new ionization source in collaboration with Indiana University Bloomington.

Funded by the National Center for Research Resources (NCRR), part of the NIH grant recognizes the acute need for the development of new technologies which enable rapid measurements with minimal sample pretreatment. Minimizing up?front sample preparation increases sample throughput by reducing the time required to go from sample to result.

Prosolia will work in partnership with IU Bloomington Professor of Chemistry Gary Hieftje to develop an atmospheric pressure glow discharge for direct analysis of samples under ambient conditions.

“Ambient mass spectrometry is already demonstrating its promise in a host of important application areas,” IU Professor Gary Hieftje says. “Our new source, the Flowing Atmospheric?Pressure Afterglow” (FAPA), is an extremely attractive addition to the existing arsenal in this field, and has already been shown capable of measuring quantities smaller than a trillionth of a gram and to be applicable to materials ranging from pesticides to pharmaceutical products, and explosives to illicit drugs.” Prosolia launched its Omni Spray® Ion Source product line in June 2005 and began shipping its first product in late 2005. The first Omni Spray Ion Source is based on Desorption Electrospray Ionization (DESI), the preeminent method in the field of ambient ionization mass spectrometry. DESI is a simple, sensitive, gentle, and versatile ionization method that allows for the direct and rapid sampling of surfaces without any sample preparation.

Prosolia’s Director of Research, Justin Wiseman says, “We [Prosolia] have an established market presence in ambient mass spectrometry equipment and have proven the ability to commercialize novel tools in analytical chemistry that enable scientists, technicians, and practitioners to make direct measurements of their samples that were not before possible without sometimes arduous sample preparation.” Wiseman also says, “Our goal is to increase laboratory throughput, which results in significant cost reductions for customers.” “This is an example of what the Indiana Innovation Alliance (IIA) is all about. Technologies from Indiana University and Purdue University coming together in a scientific instrument company solving problems of wide interest. We acknowledge productive relationships with AIT, Monarch Life Science, Griffin Analytical Technologies (a subsidiary of ICx Technologies), Phlebotics and Eli Lilly that are very helpful,” says Prosolia’s CEO, Pete Kissinger.

As a result of the STTR award, the Indiana 21st Century Technology and Research Fund will match the award to accelerate Research and Development towards commercialization.

About Prosolia Prosolia, Inc. was established in 2003 to commercialize technology arising from the laboratory of Professor R. Graham Cooks, Aston Laboratories of Mass Spectrometry at Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana. Professor Cooks and his research team have been innovators in the field of Mass Spectrometry for many years. Prosolia’s first product line, Omni Spray® Ion Source utilizes the revolutionary ambient ionization technology known as Desorption Electrospray Ionization (DESI). DESI is a simple, sensitive, gentle, and versatile ionization method that allows for the direct and rapid sampling of surfaces without any sample preparation. Prosolia is funded in part by the Indiana 21st Century grant. For more information visit www.prosolia.com.

About the National Center for Research Resources NCRR a part of NIH, provides laboratory scientists and clinical researchers with the resources and training they need to understand, detect, treat, and prevent a wide range of diseases. NCRR supports all aspects of translational and clinical research, connecting researchers, patients and communities across the nation. For more information visit www.ncrr.nih.gov.

About Indiana University Indiana University provides quality educational opportunities to communities across Indiana and to citizens from around the world. With over 97,000 students enrolled at eight campuses, studyabroad opportunities, research partnerships on five continents and 445,000 alumni worldwide, Indiana University is an internationally renowned institution of higher learning. Throughout its 189year long history, IU has continued to build on the strong foundation of excellence in teaching, creative achievement in the arts and path breaking research and scholarships that distinguished the university in previous decades.