December 30, 2008: Platypus Technologies LLC, a Madison, Wis., developer of nanotechnology based detection tools for life science and environmental monitoring, has named Richard S. Schifreen as president and chief executive.
Schifreen was formerly vice president of research products at Mirus Bio Corp. in Madison. Schifreen replaces former President and CEO Jeffrey Williams, who left the company to pursue opportunities in molecular biology, according to a Platypus news release.
According to a report in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinal, Schifreen’s main challenge now is to bring a product to market. The company’s technology involves a sensor made of a thin layer of gold film coated with receptors that make it turn lighter or darker when it comes in contact with a targeted substance.
The company has 14 patents and patent applications on the technology.
Last year, Platypus was awarded a $2.3 million contract with the Edgewood Chemical and Biological Center in Maryland to advance the company’s technology.
The company’s technology involves a sensor made of a thin layer of gold film coated with receptors that make it turn lighter or darker when it comes in contact with a targeted substance. (Photo courtesy of Platypus Technologies)