Our Alabama Launchpad Win - Press Release

Professor Krishnan Chittur, of UAHuntsville and Peggy Sammon of Magna Vista Group represented SLP Diagnostics at the Alabama Launchpad competition and received the grand prize of $100,000 in seed money towards their business plan.

SLP Diagnostics is developing a portable medical device that will provide 1 hour infection detection. The device will be marketed to hospitals, physician offices, clinics and nursing homes and is expected to save medical costs and improve patient outcomes. The technology is based on a Genetic Signature Probe, designed by Dr. Chittur and his team and the subject of an awarded U.S. Patent. “This technology should revolutionize the way infections are detected, substantially reducing the time from sample to result.” says Chemical Engineering Professor Chittur, who spent his most recent sabbatical at HudsonAlpha studying genetics. SLP Diagnostics has just recently become a Resident Associate company at the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology. “This development would not have happened”, Chittur continued, “without the support of UAHuntsville, which provided early research funds and filed for the patent, and HudsonAlpha, where a strong collaborative environment nurtures new ideas and technologies.”

In 2009, Chittur encouraged Peggy Sammon, a local entrepreneur and business consultant to join the team and build the business case. “In just the past few months, we have had several experts in the field join us as advisors. There is a strong need for more rapid diagnosis of infection in many areas of the health industry,” says Sammon.

Dr. Marc Pusey, Chief Scientist and an expert in crystallization and fluorescence, has demonstrated the components of the system, including the sensitive capture of the emission from the Gene Signature Probe.

“UAHuntsville is thrilled to have SLP Diagnostics achieve this validation and receive this important seed money. We have been very impressed with this technology and its commercial promise since we first started working with Professor Chittur” said Kannan Grant, Director of the Office of Technology and Commercialization, UAHuntsville.

The Alabama LaunchPad competition is held annually and is sponsored by the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama. Glenn Kinstler, Launchpad Director, noted that “This year we had a very strong showing of business plans in the competition. SLP Diagnostics made it through every hurdle and eventually was chosen as the first place winner from an initial field of 40 entries. We are pleased to be supporting local start-ups. Small businesses are the key driver to job growth and we continue to encourage entrepreneurship in Alabama.”

SLP Diagnostics, Inc.

We have a skeletal website (hey, who does not have a website now a days?!)

http://www.slpdiagnostics.com

SLP Diagnostics, Inc.

We won the 2010 Alabama Launchpad Competition! Yaay!

An important door has opened because we knocked. We will walk through that door and start running - as fast and as well as we can.

The road ahead is littered with bumps - I know that. There are competitors now and there will be new competitors - sure. We know that we must keep getting better than we are, implement our ideas - show the world we have a better mouse trap and why they should use it.

I am thrilled that our team was recognized at this years competition. There were an amazing number of terrific entries, I wish I could understand how and why we made it to the top of a terrific heap. Prior to the competition, we knew we had a good story, a good plan - good ideas on how we will move it all forward - but it was terrific to receive some validation indeed.

Here we come, here we are!