GeneCapture, an infection diagnostics company in Huntsville, has been awarded $1 million from the U.S. Army and managed by the Medical Technology Enterprise Consortium to address a gap in infection identification.
The contract adds invasive fungal pathogen probes to the current bacterial and viral panel, making it easier to identify and treat infections.
GeneCapture scientists are developing several dozen probes to target 14 of the most common fungal pathogens. The new probes will be added to their pathogen identification panel, part of the Capture Platform for portable rapid diagnostics. The work is being conducted at GeneCapture’s lab at HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology. The technology concept originated at the University of Alabama in Huntsville and was licensed to GeneCapture to commercialize.
“Invasive fungal infections are on the rise. Having access to a system that can rapidly identify fungal pathogens is invaluable for positive patient outcomes,” said Louise O’Keefe, associate dean for graduate programs, UAH College of Nursing and family nurse practitioner.
The platform technology is being developed for FDA clearance for several applications to address unmet diagnostic needs in both civilian and warfighter health care, including wounds, urinary tract infections, animal and plant diseases and Department of Defense-identified biothreats.
GeneCapture’s platform is intended to be developed for point-of-care capabilities, enabling rapid detection, diagnosis and antibiotic susceptibility testing. This contract is the latest of several awarded to the company from the Defense Health Agency, Defense Threat Reduction Agency and the state of Alabama.
