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Dr. Chris Backhouse
UofA Researcher
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Edmonton, Alberta, May 22, 2003 - Canada's university researchers have been given access to a small tech weapon to assist them in the war against cancer and other life-threatening diseases. This improved research capability is the result of a unique partnership between Edmonton-based Micralyne Inc. and CMC (Canadian Microelectronics Corporation). Leading researchers, government officials, as well as industry and academic leaders, gathered today at Micralyne's world-class development and manufacturing facility in Edmonton to celebrate the launch of a joint initiative enabling new access to microfluidic technology for university researchers across Canada. This will help drive the next revolution in disease diagnosis and drug discovery.
Dr. Brian Barge, President and CEO of CMC stated "Our partnership with Micralyne means that for the first time, university faculty and post-graduate students across Canada will be able to access the same level of excellence in research capabilities as private industry in the emerging field of microfluidics. Enhancing these capabilities will strengthen Canada's research capacity, and give our industries a competitive-edge in the development of future biomedical applications, specifically in medical instrumentation and in the detection, analysis and treatment of diseases like cancer."
Microfluidic chips are central in the emerging field of nano and micron-scale bioanalysis, but their high cost has until now put them beyond the financial reach of many of Canada's researchers. By leveraging CMC's established relationship with the university research community, Micralyne is now able to manufacture these customized glass chips for a fraction of the cost. Founded in 1998, Micralyne is a spin-off of the University of Alberta and is a world leader in the field of microfluidics.
"CMC's strong connections with the university community made it possible for us to combine manufacturing runs, and therefore reduce the price to users," says Chris Lumb, President and CEO of Micralyne, the only profitable MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical-Systems) manufacturer in the world. "The result is that university researchers are able to have their own custom-made microfluidic chips manufactured for about one-tenth of what it would cost otherwise."
Microfluidic microchips are similar to a lab-on-a-chip, allowing minute volumes of liquids or gases to be pumped along a channel for quick and easy testing. These miniature labs can perform tasks such as DNA analysis or the separation of human blood cells, leading to more accurate diagnoses, improved treatments, and faster development of disease-fighting drugs.
The first researchers to design and manufacture customized microfluidics chips to be manufactured through this collaboration are in chemical, mechanical/industrial, and electrical/computer engineering at the universities of Alberta, Calgary and Toronto, Queen's University, and Simon Fraser University.
Adds Lumb, "This is very good news for our industry. Not only does it allow us to build stronger relationships with Canadian universities, but it also ensures that students are getting the hands-on experience with leading-edge technologies. Having access to highly qualified people with this expertise will go a long way to developing Canada's position as a leader in microfluidics and MEMS."
About CMC (Canadian Microelectronics Corporation):
CMC is a unique model of government/industry/university collaboration that delivers advanced tools and technologies to Canadian universities to enable leading-edge research and high-quality training in microelectronics and related areas. Established in 1984, CMC is a not-for-profit corporation funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, matched by industrial contributions of technology, services and cash. Through Queen's University, CMC also manages major grants from the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) and the Ontario Innovation Trust (OIT) to deliver research infrastructure for system-on-chip investigations at Canadian universities; in addition to the provinces of Manitoba and Quebec, to enable the testing of high-performance microchip designs through the upcoming National Microelectronics and Photonics Testing Collaboratory.
www.cmc.ca
About Micralyne
Micralyne develops and manufactures microfabricated and MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical-Systems)-based products. Micralyne is one of the largest independent companies in the world that manufactures MEMS in high volumes. MEMS technology is built on the premise of making industrial components smaller, faster and less expensive and facilitates radical improvements in the miniaturization of electronic and mechanical devices. These types of devices are used in many industries including communications, automotive, aerospace, and life sciences. More specifically, Micralyne’s micron-scale solutions (i.e. 1000 microns = 1 millimetre) are found in automotive emission sensors, optical switching technology in telecommunication networks, lab-on-a-chip devices for drug discovery, and commercial press equipment for printing today’s most popular magazines. Micralyne is a profitable and growing company headquartered in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
For further information contact:
Mr. Chris Lumb
President & CEO
Micralyne Inc.
1911 - 94 Street
Edmonton, Alberta
Canada T6N 1E6
Phone: 780-431-4400
clumb@micralyne.com
