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Medical test maker graduates from startup Cortex labs [St. Louis Post-Dispatch](St. Louis Post-Dispatch (MO) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Oct. 31--An early-stage medical diagnostics company is graduating from the BioGenerator accelerator and moving in with its silicon supplier. Adarza Biosystems Inc. announced this week it would move from the Cortex life sciences district in the Central West End to SunEdison Semiconductor's campus in O'Fallon, Mo. The company is based in West Henrietta, N.Y., a suburb of Rochester. But last year, lured by angel capital and the city's biotech startup scene, the company put its research and product development team in St. Louis. The company, working out of the startup labs in the BioGenerator within the Center for Emerging technologies on Forest Park Avenue, is now ready to start manufacturing its kits. Adarza makes a diagnostic test that uses a silicon-based technology and lasers to identify specific molecules. By measuring the angle of the light reflected by the specially treated wafer, the system can quickly perform complex diagnostic tests for specific molecules and biomarkers. They can be made to perform common tests or customized to test for specific molecules. The kits can be used to diagnose illness, or gauge the effectiveness of a treatment or drug development. "Each one can look at dozens if not hundreds of markers at the same time," said Adarza CEO Rand Henke. "That's very unique." Adarza already buys the silicon wafers that are the raw materials for its diagnostic kits from SunEdison Semiconductor, the former MEMC Electronic Materials that earlier this year separated from the solar panel side of the business. "We did a fairly extensive search in the St. Louis area," Henke said. "What was particularly attractive with the SunEdison (Semiconductor) space is the physical facility there. We require special clean rooms, and they not only have them but they're experts with them." About five people Adarza employs in St. Louis will move to the new 4,000-square-foot manufacturing space in the SunEdison Semiconductor complex. Henke said the company expected to add about five more employees in the near term, and over the years it could grow to 15 to 25 employees. German medical device giant Siemens is eyeing Adarza's test, and it has won over area investors as well. Earlier this month, Adarza closed on $6.8 million in funding from Siemens and local venture firm Cultivation Capital. That follows investment from the St. Louis Arch Angels, an Arch Grant and an investment from the quasi-governmental Missouri Technology Corp. Henke said Adarza would maintain some of its research functions in Rochester. Now, his project is finding a company that can take Adarza's prototype laser device and make them on a larger scale. Jacob Barker is a business reporter at the Post-Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter @jacobbarker and the Business section @postdispatchbiz. ___ (c)2014 the St. Louis Post-Dispatch Visit the St. Louis Post-Dispatch at www.stltoday.com Distributed by MCT Information Services |