University of Pittsburgh awarded $3.5M NIH grant for WaferGen Biosystems's SmartChip Real-Time PCR System

Feb 1 2010

WaferGen Biosystems, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: WGBS), a leading developer of state-of-the-art genetic analysis systems, today announced that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) awarded a grant to the University of Pittsburgh that includes funding of $350,000 over the grant period for WaferGen's SmartChip™ Real-Time PCR System.  The researchers will conduct novel gene expression research in the areas of advanced lung disease and asthma and will use the SmartChip system as the key platform for high throughput validation.

Part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), the $3.5 million grant awarded the University of Pittsburgh is part of two grants totaling $12 million to several institutions that also include Harvard, Boston University, National Jewish Hospital, and Wake Forest.  In one project, the researchers plan to create a genetic, molecular, and quantitative clinical phenotyping data warehouse with bioinformatic tools that will empower investigators to make fundamental discoveries in disease pathogenesis, refine diagnostic criteria, and lead to real gains in personalized medicine to address chronic lung disease.  In a second project, they will study the underlying genomics of asthma to determine why some individuals develop disease that is more severe and difficult to treat. The findings are intended to facilitate the development of new therapies especially targeted for severe asthmatics.  

"Through these projects, we hope to enable the development of personalized therapies by allowing clinicians to identify individuals at risk of developing chronic lung diseases, diagnosing these conditions at an earlier stage, and identifying novel mechanisms that cause the diseases.  We will use WaferGen's SmartChip Real-Time PCR system to discover and validate new biomarkers as part of these personalized medicine projects," said Steven D. Shapiro, MD, Jack D. Myers Professor and Chairman, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Associate Medical and Research Director ICSD, UPMC.

In both projects, WaferGen's SmartChip technology will be used by investigators from the University of Pittsburgh as the key platform for high throughput PCR validation.  In October 2008, the NIH also awarded the University of Pittsburgh approximately $3 million to conduct novel gene expression research in the area of lung disease also involving WaferGen's SmartChip Real-Time PCR System.

"This additional funding from the NIH to the University of Pittsburgh and their use of the SmartChip Real-Time PCR System in novel gene expression research projects is particularly encouraging because it shows continued interest in exploring the benefits of our SmartChip platform to advance personalized medicine," said Alnoor Shivji, chairman and CEO, WaferGen.