Luna Innovations developing controls for bacteria in food

Viability kit and bacteriophage solutions announced at Food Safety Summit

March 06, 2007 — ROANOKE, Va.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Luna Innovations Incorporated announced today at the 2007 Food Safety & Security Summit in Washington, DC, two products that are under development to provide an integrated approach to the management of bacterial contamination in food: a rapid bacterial viability kit to assess decontamination efficiency and to evaluate the cleanliness of surfaces, and what is anticipated to be the first in a family of bacteriophage products.

Luna’s rapid bacterial viability kit is specifically designed to assess the presence of bacteria to determine the effectiveness of a decontamination routine used to clean surfaces in the food processing and manufacturing industry. The kit is intended to be a faster solution than standard culture methods, giving food manufacturers more timely information about their decontamination processes.

Luna’s initial bacteriophage product candidate is targeted to destroy Listeria monocytogenes, a common foodborne pathogen responsible for the disease Listeriosis. According to the Center for Disease Control, about 20% of the people in the United States who become seriously ill with Listeriosis each year die. Luna’s approach is to use a variety of phage types, creating a broad killing agent, to improve the safety of food. The mixture is being designed to be added in line with current food production and manufacturing processes or sprayed on food surfaces to reduce L. monocytogenes contamination. Luna’s phage product candidate is all natural and does not contain preservatives or potentially-allergenic substances. The phage also does not alter the taste, odor, or color of foods.

“The products currently under development at Luna are aimed at providing a safe solution for the control of deadly microorganisms in meat, fruits and vegetables,” said Dr. Richard Obiso, Director of Life Sciences at Luna Innovations.

About Luna Innovations:
Luna Innovations Incorporated researches, develops and commercializes innovative technologies in molecular technology and sensing solutions. Luna accelerates the process of bringing new and innovative products to market by focusing on technologies that can fulfill identified market needs and then takes these technologies from the applied research stage through commercialization. Since its inception, Luna has successfully developed products for the energy, telecommunications, life sciences and defense industries. Headquartered in Roanoke, Virginia, the company has research, development and manufacturing facilities in Blacksburg, Charlottesville, Hampton, and Danville, Virginia and a sales office in McLean, Virginia.

Forward Looking Statements
This release includes information that constitutes “forward-looking statements” made pursuant to the safe harbor provision of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding the relative speed of the company’s rapid bacterial viability kit relative to standard culture methods, the ability of the company’s bacteriophage product candidates to destroy L. monocytogenes on equipment and food surfaces, and the safety of products currently under development. Actual results may differ materially from the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including risks and uncertainties set forth in the company’s periodic reports and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Such filings are available at the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov, and at the company’s website at http://www.lunainnovations.com. The statements made in this release are based on information available to the company as of the date of this release and Luna Innovations undertakes no obligation to update any of the forward-looking statements after the date of this release.

Contacts
Luna Innovations Incorporated
Karin Clark, Director of Marketing & Communications
1-540-769-8400; fax: 1-540-769-8401
[email protected]

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