San Diego, CA - Ionian Technologies, Inc., has received a $665,000 grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to develop rapid, point-of-care diagnostic tests for the developing world, using Ionian's proprietary isothermal technology, termed the NEAR Assay.

The study, titled "Rapid Nucleic Acid Diagnostics for Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, and Tuberculosis for Use in the Developing World, "will assess the challenges arising from the lack of adequate diagnostic tests in developing countries. Every year, millions of people worldwide suffer from infectious diseases, including tuberculosis, chlamydia, and gonorrhea, particularly in the developing world. The development of rapid, specific, and sensitive diagnostics suitable for use in a point-of-care setting would be an important global health development.

If successful, Ionian's NEAR assay could address many of the limitations of current diagnostic approaches. Following a rapid sample extraction step, the technology provides for the isothermal amplification of nucleic acids, either DNA or RNA, in approximately 5 minutes, with sensitivity and specificity equivalent to PCR. Even the fastest PCR reactions typically require ~30 minutes and complicated equipment; hence the NEAR technology provides significant speed, simplicity, and cost advantages compared to PCR. The amplification products can be detected using a variety of methods, including a lateral-flow readout.

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Founded in 2000, Ionian Technologies is leveraging its strengths in biodefense assay development to optimize and commercialize a molecular diagnostic platform designed to perform a range of analyses, from identifying infectious diseases to providing point-of-care testing.

Contact:

For more information, contact -
     Ionian Technologies Inc.
     Andrew Miller
     CEO
     858-642-0998 ext. 221
     Email Contact