National Science Foundation Grant Goes to the Development of a Light-Scattering Technology

With the help of a $1.1-million grant through the National Science Foundation’s (NSF’s) Small Business Innovation Research program, Advanced Polymer Monitoring Technologies (APMT) announced it will develop a multiple-sample light-scattering technology to characterize biomolecules. Specifically, the technology will measure the stability of biopharmaceuticals and will provide information about if there is any protein aggregation occurring in samples.

The technology, known as the Aggregation Rate Generator (ARGEN) product, measures degradation “under computer-controlled thermal, mechanical, and chemical stimulus,” according to a company press release. ARGEN’s patented system incorporates proprietary hardware with analytics software. The platform facilitates early detection of aggregation and high-throughput formulation stability testing, and is capable of running 16 independent experiments simultaneously. The tool can help investigators determine the actual rate of aggregation through continuous monitoring of the aggregation process, as opposed to just providing aggregation information before and after the aggregation event.