A State College startup has developed a system that could save time and money for companies that purify proteins as part of the process of developing vaccines and conducting biotechnological research.
Now, labs commonly use a piece of machinery called a chromatography column, which separates molecules in a chemical compound. But the columns commercial labs use are unwieldy, weigh several tons, and need to be moved by a crane.
That's why ChromaTan came up with its system, which is made of smaller components that operate sort of like a conveyor belt. The pieces are disposable so they don't have to be cleaned. The whole setup can process the same amount of fluid as a chromatography column, but it runs continuously rather than requiring technicians to run one batch at a time. ChromaTan founder Oleg Shinkazh compares his company's invention to building a car on an assembly line instead of putting it together in your garage.
The company moved to State College from Boston after partnering with Penn State University, which allowed it to use a college chemical engineering lab. Shinkazh says Central PA is a friendly place for startups, given its lower cost of living and access to funders like the Ben Franklin Technology Partners. In fact, he credits an Innovation Partnership voucher that provided money for a grant writer whose work secured funding from the National Institutes of Health. “It really pays for itself,” Shinkazh says.
ChromaTan is still seeking money to refine its system and hopes to have it on the market in two years.
Source: Oleg Shinkazh, ChromaTan
Writer: Rebecca VanderMeulen