NEWARK, Del.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Fraunhofer Center for Molecular Biotechnology (FhCMB) announced today that it has been awarded $1.5 million from the Defense Threat Reduction Agency to provide the United States government with a sustainable source of reagents for advancing critical research aimed at developing countermeasures to combat potentially devastating biological pathogens. These reagents will also be valuable for surveillance and diagnostic purposes.
The potential use of biological agents for bio warfare threatens the security of populations globally. Biological weapons can be easily concealed, transported and released with devastating consequences, making rapid response capability a requirement of paramount importance.
According to Dr. Vidadi Yusibov, Executive Director of FhCMB, “Our unique platform technology, using plants for the production of target protein reagents, has been shown to be highly efficient and flexible for a wide variety of molecules, including many that have been ‘hard to produce’ using more traditional approaches. Our experience in molecular biology and protein biochemistry will be important factors in the successful development of these critical reagents.”
“We must support the ongoing revolution in the life sciences by seeking to ensure that resulting discoveries and their applications, used solely for peaceful and beneficial purposes, are globally available. At the same time, we must be mindful of the risks throughout history posed by those who sought to misuse the products of new technologies for harmful purposes. http://www.dtra.mil/missions/ChemicalbiologicalDefense/ChemicalBiologicalDefenseHome.aspx
“Protecting public safety is one of my top priorities,” said Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.). “That’s why I was glad to see that Fraunhofer USA’s Center for Molecular Biotechnology received this federal funding from the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) to support their critically important research. Investing in this research will help identify ways to protect the public in the unfortunate event of biological warfare, and is one important part of our broader homeland security effort.”
Delaware Senator Chris Coons added, “It's important to invest in cutting-edge businesses that are using advanced sciences to develop the technology that will protect our citizens from the dangerous biological threats to our nation,” Senator Coons said. “I want to congratulate the team at Fraunhofer USA's Center for Molecular Biotechnology on winning this grant. I’m pleased that this funding will go toward a Delaware business working so hard on the front lines of America's war against emerging threats.”
“We must continue to make the smart investments that will protect our national security,” said Delaware Congressman John Carney. “I’m glad that Fraunhofer USA’s Center for Molecular Biotechnology will have the opportunity to use their resources and expertise to conduct critical research on biological threats to our nation. I hope their developments will move us toward greater protection for all Americans.”
Fraunhofer USA Center for Molecular Biotechnology develops safe, rapid and economical alternatives for vaccine production. The Center, with fully functioning GMP pilot scale production capacity, has now established the full suite of capabilities necessary to achieve its goal of being a full-continuum service provider from target expression through early stage clinical product development. FhCMB’s end-to-end capabilities and recent completion of two Phase 1 clinical trials make it well positioned to meet the needs of expanding markets while focusing on its core mission of developing new vaccines and therapeutics.