CIRTEMO wins National Science Foundation Grant
Columbia, S.C. (PRWEB) January 29, 2014 -- Multivariate Optical Element innovator CIRTEMO announced today that the company has won a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant award. The NSF awarded the prestigious grant to fund the development of a new Multivariate Optical Element (MOE) technology platform for fluorescence biomarker applications.
The project, to be completed under the supervision of CIRTEMO’s Chief Technology Officer Dr. Ryan Priore, aims to combine the data collection and processing steps of a traditional multivariate chemical analysis into a single step via an all-optical computing technology with little to no moving parts.
The result, said Priore, will have “superior spectroscopic discrimination performance as compared to traditional band pass filter techniques. This project’s impact and commercial potential will be broad.”
CIRTEMO founder Jason Williamson, just as enthused about the research and its potential, noted, “Our team is pleased and proud to start 2014 as recipients of a National Science Foundation grant. The research this funds could allow the development of a simplified MOE-based sensor, ultimately moving certain life science applications like disease prognostication from the laboratory to the point of care.”
Upon successful completion of the project, CIRTEMO could ultimately receive over $2.5M in direct and matching funds to assist with future technical and commercialization efforts.
About CIRTEMO
CIRTEMO designs and manufactures patented optical filters, called Multivariate Optical Elements, which are encoded to detect/measure complex chemical compounds and attributes. CIRTEMO’s patented Multivariate Optical Element platform enables optical systems to perform high value detection and analysis at the speed of light, to a variety of industries.
CIRTEMO primarily partners with OFMs and Optical Component and System Manufacturers (OCSMs). The Multivariate Optical Element platform allows OFMs and OCSMs to differentiate their offerings with a well-protected IP position and enable their customers to tackle new applications that are not possible with traditional optical filters and coatings. CIRTEMO is also engaged with key collaborators working to develop Multivariate Optical Element-based systems for life science and other high value applications.
Company History
CIRTEMO is the second company founded to commercialize the patented Multivariate Optical Element platform discovered by Dr. Michael Myrick at the University of South Carolina. Prior to founding CIRTEMO, Jason Williamson founded Ometric in 2005. Ometric successfully commercialized the Multivariate Optical Element platform in a wide variety of large industrial sectors, including pharmaceuticals, chemicals, pet nutrition, mining, food and many others.
Ometric was sold to Halliburton in 2011. Although the exact sale price of Ometric is considered confidential, Halliburton paid more than eight figures for the company, and the transaction generated the largest royalty payment in history ever paid to the University of South Carolina ($2.7M).
For more information, visit http://www.CIRTEMO.com or call (803) 467-4189.
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Anne Smith, Avery Smith Communications, http://www.cirtemo.com, 864.360.3176, [email protected]
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