Texas A&M AgriLife Research and GenTegra LLC are awarded contract continuation

Ambient Temperature Biospecimen Collection, Transport & Banking For Simplified Animal Disease Screening

Pleasanton, Calif.—The National Center for Foreign Animal and Zoonotic Disease Defense (FAZD Center) and GenTegra LLC today announced the awarding of a joint collaboration to continue work on the “Matrix Chaperone” sample collection device. The FAZD Center is a U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Center of Excellence and is led by Texas A&M AgriLife Research, an agency of The Texas A&M University System.

Texas A&M University System Chancellor, John Sharp, endorsed this effort, “Our ultimate goal here is to advance research toward new and better solutions, improving people’s lives. This collaboration with GenTegra is a great example of how higher education and industry can develop life-changing technology.”

The overall goal of this project is to develop and validate a new technology to enhance the collection, preservation, and shipping of disease outbreak samples to the diagnostic laboratory. The project applies a novel dry-state ambient temperature technology (Matrix Chaperone), developed at GenTegra towards enhancing sample preservation to allow for more robust downstream testing. The initial proof-of-concept study focused on utilizing the technology with avian samples in both a laboratory and field setting. Funded by the DHS Science and Technology Directorate’s Chemical and Biological Defense Division, the expansion of this proof-of-concept study will involve evaluation of this technology under field conditions, with both swabs and serum from avian sources.

The Matrix Chaperone technology would eliminate the need for cold-chain storage (refrigerated or frozen), both simplifying the process and enhancing sample preservation during the movement of samples from the field to the laboratory. This technology has broad applications both in the U.S. and globally.

GenTegra has completed pilot scale manufacturing of a series of customized swabs, and bench testing and field sampling are underway. In response to feedback from researchers at the FAZD Center, GenTegra developed multiple sizes of the swab to enable sampling of birds and livestock, and have begun sampling in the field.

The FAZD Center performs research and develops products to defend the nation from high-consequence foreign animal, emerging and zoonotic diseases. Founded in April 2004 as a DHS Science and Technology Center of Excellence, the FAZD Center works with investigators, end users and stakeholders to develop products that meet identified national priorities and help protect the agricultural critical infrastructure and the economy. The Center has robust programs in disease discovery, information technology, knowledge products, education and training curriculum, policy development, and technology commercialization.

GenTegra-RNA dry Bulk is in stock and ready for immediate shipment.

Contact:
Melissa Berquist, Ph.D
Associate Director
[email protected]
phone: 979.845.2855

GenTegra LLC has redefined ambient temperature stabilization of nucleic acids and other biomolecules through proprietary chemistries that protect and preserve in a biological matrix or as purified. In liquid form, the products protect specimens while being processed and when dried specimens are protected for years.

Contact: James Nelson, VP Marketing

[email protected]

1-925-461-3010