Biomātrica®, Inc. is located in the heart of the biotech industry in San Diego, California. We provide storage, transportation and organizational solutions for laboratories managing and/or processing DNA samples. Biomātrica® technology has the potential to create a paradigm shift in the industry, allowing the transition from cold storage to room temperature storage and handling of biological samples. These tools are expected to greatly impact a broad scope of life science organizations, from pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, to academic research and forensic laboratories. The company initiated a focused launch for its first line of products, and is quickly developing new products for storage of RNA, proteins and cells.
The Problem
The Genomic Age has ushered in an era of industrialization for life sciences research. Scientists worldwide are analyzing millions of biological samples collected from a multitude of organisms in order to further scientific knowledge and develop commercial products. High throughput technology has resulted in a vast pool of samples and information and that require an integration of storage, organization and analysis. Presently, all biological materials (such as nucleic acids, proteins, enzymes, viruses and cells) are handled and stored in cold environments (i.e. 4ºC, -20ºC, -80ºC, or liquid nitrogen). The management of cold environments is associated with tremendous costs and problems, particularly when a “cold-chain” cannot be maintained during sample collection and transport. Using current technologies, repeated freezing/thawing processes or even short term storage of biological material at room temperature results in significant sample degradation and loss of activity. Maintaining the integrity, sterility and stability of biological materials is paramount for optimal data collection.
The Solution
Biomātrica® offers an innovative solution based on dry storage of biological materials in a proprietary dissolvable sample matrix at room temperature. This technology can be applied to thousands of currently available products in the biotechnology, diagnostics and pharmaceutical industries. Our proprietary technology is particularly amenable to the millions of samples generated from genome mapping and sample collected and archived for personalized medicine, forensics and military purposes.
SampleMatrix® was designed by combining anhydrobiosis biology (derived from the Greek for "life without water"), small molecule chemistry, and dissolvable polymer chemistry. This proprietary matrix is perfectly formulated for the long-term storage of biological samples (e.g. nucleic acids, proteins, viruses and cells) at ambient temperature. SampleMatrix® completely dissolves within minutes during sample hydration and allows complete recovery without degradation or loss of activity. Without the need for further purification, the rehydrated sample can be used for various downstream applications. In beta testing at forensic crime labs and at one of the world's largest suppliers of molecular biology products, theSampleMatrix® demonstrated a higher DNA recovery compared to conventionally stored frozen DNA samples. Testing at leading forensic crime labs and at the world’s largest supplier of molecular biology products has demonstrated thatSampleMatrix® yields higher recovery of DNA compared to conventionally-stored frozen samples. Preliminary tests also indicate that SampleMatrix® allows long-term storage of proteins and prokaryotic cells at room temperature. SampleMatrix® has been successfully tested for more than 2 years, including stability testing at independent locations, including the San Diego Sheriff’s crime labs, the Scripps Research Institute , and a major supplier of molecular biology products. Biomātrica® is thus uniquely positioned to capitalize on the vast array of applications and market opportunities associated with sample transport, diagnostics and storage.
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