IMT develops biosensors division
MEMS manufacturer Innovative Micro Technology (IMT) announced the formation of a division to develop new biosensor technologies using its advanced MEMS expertise. The Silicon Biosensor Division's initial aim is to develop resonating beam sensors in partnership with Professor Scott Manalis of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The work will be funded by a $2 million grant awarded to MIT and IMT by the Institute for Collaborative Biotechnology's (ICB), a partnership among universities, industrial partners (including IMT), and the US Army. The three-year project will focus on the extreme high-sensitivity detection of pathogens that constitute food safety risks.
Dr. Ken Babcock, Division President and the Food Safety project's Principal Investigator, commented: “The Silicon Biosensor Division energises IMT's efforts in the biomedical area and applies its MEMS manufacturing expertise to commercial-grade sensors of unprecedented sensitivity. The Division also fuels a strong partnership between the Manalis lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which has been innovative in this area, and IMT's world-class manufacturing infrastructure. The initial Division project in food safety represents a great start, and we anticipate future projects aimed at detecting biomolecular interactions for protein chemistry and medical diagnostics.”
Dr. John Foster, IMT's CEO, added, “The new Division fits well with IMT's focus on key markets, including Biomedical. The Division will also encourage strong collaborations between IMT and many outstanding groups, such as the Manalis Lab and the ICB, of which we are proud to be an Industrial Affiliate.”
