Portland, Maine
January 5, 2009
EnviroLogix Inc.
(Portland, ME), a company that develops and sells rapid, on-site
and lab-based immunoassays for detecting transgenic proteins in
genetically modified seeds, plants and crops, and
Ionian Technologies Inc.
(San Diego, CA), a company commercializing a proprietary rapid
nucleic acid assay technology, have concluded an Exclusive
License and Technology Transfer Agreement.
Under terms of the agreement, EnviroLogix is granted worldwide
and exclusive rights to develop, manufacture, and sell tests
serving agricultural (including GMO), plant pathogen and
veterinary markets utilizing Ionian’s patented Nicking Enzyme
Amplification Reaction (NEAR) technology. The tests will
incorporate Ionian’s isothermal amplification methods to detect
targeted DNA and RNA, in less than 10 minutes, with sensitivity
equivalent to PCR, the current gold standard.
Presently, tests for identifying engineered seeds, grains or
crops rely on detecting novel transgenic proteins with
point-of-testing lateral flow strips or lab-based ELISA methods,
while PCR is often used for gene analysis. But PCR can take up
to 60 minutes and requires complex equipment, and future biotech
traits may not express novel proteins or may express these
proteins at levels too low for antibody-based detection.
However, all current and future biotech products have or will
have modified gene sequences, and thus the need for rapid – and
sensitive – nucleic acid testing. Ionian’s NEAR methods are
specific enough to detect single base changes between two
otherwise similar sequences. The amplification products can be
detected using both fluorescent and lateral flow methods.
In addition to a full line of rapid tests for GMOs,
EnviroLogix, founded in 1996, has developed assays for the
detection of mold, mycotoxins, algal toxins, pesticides, and
plant pathogens.
Founded in 2000, Ionian Technologies is leveraging its
background in biodefense applications 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
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