Duquesne Universitys mass spectrometry facility has received designation as an Agilent Center of Excellence. The leading manufacturer of mass spectroscopy equipment recognizes the best of the best applications in the field, including the work that the university, aided by researchers from Applied Isotope Technologies of Pittsburgh, has conducted in autism, which now affects as many as 1 in 150 children in the United States.
The work is directed by Dr. Skip Kingston, professor of applied chemistry at Duquesne and co-founder of Applied Isotope Technologies. Founded in 2003, the biochemical start-up is a Pittsburgh Life Sciences Greenhouse portfolio company.
We dont make the instruments. We make the instruments accurate, says AIT CEO Matt Pamuku. Researchers use AIT products to monitor blood samples for industrially produced toxins, solving complex measurement challenges that researchers face as they collect and analyze data. The autism study, conducted in conjunction with the Childrens Institute of Pittsburgh, examines the environmental influences that might affect the onset and progression of Autism Spectrum of Disorders (ASD). The firm has also conducted research for the U.S. Air Force for homeland security applications and for industry.
In the past, studies on the nature of radiological and nuclear isotopes could take a week. That can be reduced to two hours, which is very significant in the event of biohazard incidents, says Pamuku. The company is also working with a major crude oil producer to analyze concentrations of poisons in unrefined oil supplies without expensive catalysts.
Source: Matt Pamuku, AIT
Writer: Chris OToole
