Sept. 19, 2002 — Nanosphere Inc. said it will use two grants worth $1.5 million to develop diagnostic tests to assess genetic risk factors for cancer and hypercoagulation disorders.
Nanosphere, a Chicago area life sciences startup, said the grants from the National Institutes of Health coincide with the launch of a detection system geared toward the clinical diagnostic market. The company’s system incorporates nanoparticle probe technology in a biomolecular detection system that is designed to eliminate traditional amplification methods, according to a news release.
The firm has licensed technology from Northwestern University’s Institute for Nanotechnology. Chad Mirkin, the center’s director, co-founded Nanosphere.