Solidus Biosciences is a company that received a STTR Phase II grant for a project entitled: Development of a Lead Optimization Chip for Drug Discovery. Their award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and their project will address further development and commercialization of a multi-enzyme lead optimization chip (Multizyme Chip) for high-throughput generation of lead compound analogs coupled with cell-based screening for the rapid identification of biologically active derivatives. Such a capability directly impacts a key bottleneck in drug discovery; namely, the efficient optimization of lead compounds to develop drugs with optimal pharmacological properties. Solidus Biosciences, Inc. proposes to combine six biocatalysis with pharmacological screening to provide rapid identification of biologically active compounds against cell-specific targets, which is a new paradigm for lead optimization. Moreover, the Multizyme Chip platform will be well-suited for lead optimization in related industries, including agrochemicals, cosmetics, and cosmeceuticals. The Solidus technology will thus improve the competitiveness and efficiency of the pharmaceutical, cosmetics, and chemical industries, and will serve as a rich source of new and improved commercial products. The broader impacts of this research are the advances that Solidus Biosciences will achieve toward generating better and safer drugs, reducing the cost to develop these drugs, and increasing the overall efficiency of the pharmaceutical industry. Solidus will generate Multizyme Chips for purchase by pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to facilitate their lead optimization programs, particularly those involving natural product-derived and complex synthetic small molecule leads. Cryopreservation techniques developed in Phase II will enable the sale of chips and chip-handling devices produced during Phase I, and will allow seamless penetration of the Solidus technology platform into the company's target markets. Solidus Biosciences is a company that received a STTR Phase I grant for a project entitled: Development of a Lead Optimization Chip for Drug Discovery. Their research project aims to develop a new method for generating lead compounds by using enzymatic modification of compound sets. Availability of new methodology to generate biologically active compounds from existing molecules may enhance the success of the drug discovery process and may lead to the discovery of new and useful therapeutics. Solidus Biosciences is a company that received a STTR Phase I grant for a project entitled: High-Throughput RNAi Screening of Mammalian Cells. Their research project aims to develop a system for the rapid screening of siRNAs that can inhibit genes involved in cellular responses such as hyperosmotic stress that can affect pathways of high commercial importance, including protein production. Use of hyperosmotic stress as a proof of concept system will demonstrate the feasibility of high-throughput RNAi screening and will at the same time yield results that can be used to improve monoclonal antibody production in commercial and laboratory settings Production of biopharmaceuticals such as antibodies is exquisitely responsive to the culture conditions under which the cells are grown and thus can be improved through optimizing such settings, which in turn, would affect the genes involved in the specific synthetic pathways of interest. Development of a rapid methodology to identify inhibitory RNA molecules that can inhibit genes that adversely affect yield would be of significant importance to pharmaceutical companies that produce protein therapeutics and may result in a lowering of the const of these therapeutic entities.

Proteoplex is a spinout of Incyte Genomics and aims to provide the scientific community with key functional genomic and proteomic tools and services in the areas of Gene Expression, Protein Expression and Cell-Based Assays. The proteomics product addresses a major barrier in defining the function of proteins in cells; how to quickly and cheaply test thousands of samples for the presence of a particular set of proteins. This protein product will be closely followed by the launch of gene expression products to solve a similar barrier in the genomics market; how to quickly and cheaply interrogate thousands of samples against a defined set of important genes.

Ocimum Biosolutions is a life sciences RnD enabling company with three focus areas, BioIT (LIMS / Bioinformatics), BioMolecules, and BioResearch. Ocimum aims to deliver end to end genomic products and services out of three strategic locations worldwide, Indianapolis (United States), IJsselstien (The Netherlands), Hyderabad (India).

SideroGen, Inc. is focused on the development and manufacture of biomolecule purification products for applications in the fields of forensic science and clinical genomics. These products will be developed for processing very small samples, common to forensic science and cancer diagnostics. The core technology for these products is based on inert ferro-ceramic, paramagnetic particles of compositions that are specifically designed to be compatible with downstream DNA and protein analysis. This technology and its uses are exclusively owned and were developed by SideroGen, Inc.

Shamrock Structures is a structural proteomics company focused on assisting pharmaceutical and biotechnology clients reduce the time it takes to advance from protein targets to drugs by offering integrated services in structural proteomics including protein cloning, expression, purification and crystallization.

CAPE Technologies, of South Portland created a practical immunoassay-based test kits for dioxin and dioxin-like PCBs. The kits provide near real time analysis in a simple field lab, at lower cost, with less equipment, and with fewer people, than conventional methods. CAPE's dioxin kit is the only rapid dioxin screening method accepted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for solid waste analysis. A third kit is also available for rapid field analysis of total PCBs. CAPE's kits are marketed by distributors in Australia, Japan, Italy, Taiwan, China, and Finland, and directly through its web site to the rest of the world. CAPE Technologies maintains local ties with the University of New England, the University of Southern Maine, and the University of Maine at Orono. Dr. Robert Harrison of Cape Elizabeth is co-founder and president.