New division to develop silicon-based biosensors

The Silicon Biosensor division's initial aim is to develop resonating beam sensors in partnership with Professor Scott Manalis of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

The work will be funded by a $2M grant awarded to MIT and IMT by the Institute for Collaborative Biotechnologies (ICB), a partnership among universities, industrial partners (including IMT), and the US Army.

The three-year project will focus on detecting pathogens at extremely high sensitivities for food safety applications.

Ken Babcock, division president and the food safety project's principle investigator, commented, "The Silicon Biosensor division energises IMT's efforts in the biomedical area and applies its Mems manufacturing expertise to commercial-grade sensors of unprecedented sensitivity.

"The division also fuels a strong partnership between the Manalis lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which has been innovative in this area, and IMT's world-class manufacturing infrastructure.

"The initial division project in food safety represents a great start, and we anticipate future projects aimed at detecting biomolecular interactions for protein chemistry and medical diagnostics".

John Foster, IMT's CEO, added, "The new division fits well with IMT's focus on key markets, including biomedical.

"The division will also encourage strong collaborations between IMT and many outstanding groups, such as the Manalis Lab and the ICB, of which we are proud to be an industrial affiliate".

According to Scott Manalis: "working with IMT is very exciting for us as it provides a strong bridge from laboratory innovation to world-class manufacturing capabilities.

"And, IMT's unique breadth of expertise gives us confidence that a wide range of sensor technologies can be made a reality.

"This connection will be vital for long term success and widespread use of these sensors in real-world applications."