Two potentially life-saving technologies, developed 4,000 miles apart, will soon join together thanks to a partnership of the BioMaryland Center and the Medicen Paris Region. The Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development (DBED) announced the international project on Wednesday, from the BIO International Conference 2014 in San Diego.
The new collaborative effort is expected to result in the further development and commercialization of a bacterial detection device.
Opticul Diagnostics, based in Rockville, Maryland, is developing bacterial detection without the use of reagents to produce chemical reactions. Diafir, based in Rennes, France, produces a complementary product that eliminates the need for culture of the organism prior to detection. Its diagnostic solutions are based on infrared sensors to produce a more rapid, minimally invasive approach to detect infections, track metabolic diseases and identify tumors.
“We are excited as this funding will help Opticul move to the point of care space and facilitate our connection with Diafir,” Gallya Gannot, president and founder of Opticul, said in a statement.
“This funding is a great opportunity for Diafir to expand technologically and to penetrate to the medical point of care with a powerful bacterial identification device. Teaming with Opticul Diagnostics will result in a faster development and a superior technology,” Hugues Tariel, president and chief executive officer of Diafir, said in a statement.
Opticul is slated to receive up to $200,000 in matching funds from the BioMaryland Center, while Diafir is slated to receive up to 3 million euros in matching funds from Bpifrance, a funding partner of the Medicen Paris Region. The partnership between the two companies represents the first co-funded international project of the BioMaryland Center and the Medicen Paris Region, both government-sponsored economic development organizations focused on promoting the life sciences.
The two organizations first signed a Memorandum of Understanding during BIO International Conference 2012 in Boston. They represent compatible regions. While Maryland is the fourth largest biopharma concentration in the United States, the Medicen Paris Region represents one of Europe’s largest clusters of life science and health care companies.
“The partnerships we’ve made around the globe have been fruitful for Maryland’s economy and also signify the world-class nature of our innovators in fields like the life sciences,” said DBED Secretary Dominick Murray.
Secretary Murray joined Judy Britz, Ph.D., executive director of the BioMaryland Center; Jean-Roch Meunier, Délégué Général, Medicen Paris Region; Isabelle Lebo of the French public investment bank Bpifrance, and representatives of the companies during the project’s announcement.
The new collaborative effort is expected to result in the further development and commercialization of a bacterial detection device.
Opticul Diagnostics, based in Rockville, Maryland, is developing bacterial detection without the use of reagents to produce chemical reactions. Diafir, based in Rennes, France, produces a complementary product that eliminates the need for culture of the organism prior to detection. Its diagnostic solutions are based on infrared sensors to produce a more rapid, minimally invasive approach to detect infections, track metabolic diseases and identify tumors.
“We are excited as this funding will help Opticul move to the point of care space and facilitate our connection with Diafir,” Gallya Gannot, president and founder of Opticul, said in a statement.
“This funding is a great opportunity for Diafir to expand technologically and to penetrate to the medical point of care with a powerful bacterial identification device. Teaming with Opticul Diagnostics will result in a faster development and a superior technology,” Hugues Tariel, president and chief executive officer of Diafir, said in a statement.
Opticul is slated to receive up to $200,000 in matching funds from the BioMaryland Center, while Diafir is slated to receive up to 3 million euros in matching funds from Bpifrance, a funding partner of the Medicen Paris Region. The partnership between the two companies represents the first co-funded international project of the BioMaryland Center and the Medicen Paris Region, both government-sponsored economic development organizations focused on promoting the life sciences.
The two organizations first signed a Memorandum of Understanding during BIO International Conference 2012 in Boston. They represent compatible regions. While Maryland is the fourth largest biopharma concentration in the United States, the Medicen Paris Region represents one of Europe’s largest clusters of life science and health care companies.
“The partnerships we’ve made around the globe have been fruitful for Maryland’s economy and also signify the world-class nature of our innovators in fields like the life sciences,” said DBED Secretary Dominick Murray.
Secretary Murray joined Judy Britz, Ph.D., executive director of the BioMaryland Center; Jean-Roch Meunier, Délégué Général, Medicen Paris Region; Isabelle Lebo of the French public investment bank Bpifrance, and representatives of the companies during the project’s announcement.