Lucigen Corporation is pleased to announce that it has recently been awarded two separate SBIR Phase I grants to fund additional research and development.

The National Institutes of Health has awarded Lucigen a total of $350,000 in Small Business Innovation Research grants to be used to develop research tools with the potential to improve human health. The first grant provides funding for the development of improved tools for “RNA-Seq” techniques used in next generation sequencing applications. RNA-Seq methods are employed in order to study gene regulation and expression; however, current methods suffer from poor accuracy and inherent bias. Lucigen’s portfolio of high-fidelity reverse-transcriptase polymerases, along with the company’s experience in constructing low-bias DNA libraries, will be utilized to create new methods for accurate RNA-Seq applications. The result will enable scientists to gain clearer understanding of gene regulation and subsequently apply this to human health.

The second grant provides funds for the development of an affordable, simple tool for correlating genomic and proteomic data from individual cells using droplet based microfluidic technology. Working in partnership with Auburn University, Lucigen will use this system to develop powerful new enzymes for amplifying very large DNAs. This work will enable researchers to better understand the interaction of cells, proteins and genes in normal and disease situations.

“These grants will enable Lucigen to leverage its core strengths in cloning and genomic research in order to empower genetic researchers worldwide. Scientists will be able to increase their rate of discovery and advance their knowledge of how genes affect health, stated David Mead, Ph.D., founder and CEO.