ChromaDex® Awarded Small Business Technology Transfer Phase I Grant By National Science Foundation
- $225,000 Awarded to Develop the Technology for a Microbial Approach to Catechin Production -
IRVINE, Calif., June 27, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- ChromaDex Corp.® (OTCBB: CDXC), an innovative natural products company that provides proprietary, science-based solutions and ingredients to the dietary supplement, food & beverage, animal health, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries, announced today it has been awarded a $225,000 Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grant by the National Science Foundation (NSF).
The grant will support research conducted in collaboration with Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y., under the topic of Enhancing the Bioeconomy using Emerging Biological Technologies (EBBT). The purpose of the research is to develop a microbial technique for producing catechins for commercial use in dietary supplement, nutraceutical, food, beverage and cosmetic products.
The project, entitled "STTR Phase I: Microbial Production of Catechins," will set the stage for understanding the biosynthetic pathway and prove the viability of fermentation technology for selectively manufacturing catechins.
Primarily found in green tea and cocoa, cathechins form the basis of a number of antioxidant compounds such as epicatechin (EC), epigallocatechin (EGC), epicatechin gallate (ECG) and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). Due to its low percentage in natural products such as green tea, it is not economically viable to isolate commercial quantities of catechins from these materials. This microbial fermentation strategy will help enhance the production of such beneficial catechins through a bioeconomic approach utilizing principles of synthetic biology, metabolic engineering and other emerging biotechnologies.
"We have been on the forefront of creating various unique compounds via a microbial approach, and we are pleased that the NSF is continuing its support for this type of research through the STTR grant," said Frank Jaksch, co-founder and CEO of ChromaDex. "This is a natural extension of the Phase I and Phase II SBIR work that ChromaDex did in the area of anthocyanin production using fermentation. Catechins are strong natural antioxidants which have applications in the dietary supplement and food markets as a natural additive to extend shelf life."
ChromaDex and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute will collaborate during this yearlong STTR program to develop the microbial strains necessary to demonstrate the viability of this approach to catechin production.
STTR is a program that expands funding opportunities in the federal innovation research and development arena. Central to the program is expansion of the public/private sector partnership to include joint venture opportunities for small businesses and nonprofit research institutions. The unique feature of the STTR program is the requirement for the small business to formally collaborate with a research institution in Phase I and Phase II. STTR's most important role is to bridge the gap between performance of basic science and commercialization of resulting innovations.
When the program is completed, ChromaDex plans to add catechins to its portfolio of novel ingredients to market to dietary supplement, food & beverage, animal health and cosmetic companies, working to meet growing consumer and trade demands for natural ingredients in the marketplace.
About National Science Foundation Funding
The National Science Foundation funds research and education in most fields of science and engineering. This is accomplished through grants and cooperative agreements to more than 2,000 colleges, universities, K-12 school systems, businesses, informal science organizations and other research organizations throughout the United States.
NSF receives approximately 40,000 proposals each year for research, education and training projects, of which approximately 11,000 are funded. The SBIR program is a highly competitive program that encourages small businesses to explore their technological potential and provides the incentive to profit from commercialization.
About ChromaDex®:
ChromaDex® is an innovative natural products company that discovers, acquires, develops and commercializes proprietary-based ingredient technologies through its unique business model which utilizes its wholly owned synergistic business units, including ingredient technologies, natural product fine chemicals (known as "phytochemicals"), chemistry and analytical testing services and product regulatory and safety consulting (as Spherix Consulting). The company provides seamless science-based solutions to the dietary supplement, food & beverage, animal health, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. Our ingredient technologies unit includes products backed with extensive scientific research and intellectual property. The ingredient portfolio includes pTeroPure®; pterostilbene; ProC3G™, a natural black rice containing cyanidine-3-glucoside; PURENERGY™, a caffeine-pTeroPure co-crystal; nutraGac™, a gac fruit powder; curcumin; and Niagen™, its recently launched branding nicotinamide riboside, a novel next-generation B vitamin. To learn more about ChromaDex please visit www.chromadex.com.
Forward-Looking Statements:
Any statements that are not historical facts contained in this release are forward-looking statements. Actual results may differ materially from those projected or implied in any forward-looking statements. Such statements involve risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to those relating to product and customer demand, market acceptance of our products, the effect of economic conditions both nationally and internationally, ability to protect our intellectual property rights, impact of any litigation or infringement actions brought against us, competition from other providers and products, risks in product development, our ability to raise capital to fund continuing operations, the ability to complete transactions, and other factors discussed from time to time in the Company's Securities and Exchange Commission filings. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement for events or circumstances after the date on which such statement is made except as required by law.
ChromaDex Media Inquiries:
Beckerman PR
Jerry Schranz
201-465-8020
[email protected]
ChromaDex Investor Contact:
The Del Mar Consulting Group, Inc.
Robert B. Prag, President
858-794-9500
[email protected]
or
Alex Partners, LLC
Scott Wilfong, President
425- 242-0891
[email protected]
ChromaDex Company Contact:
Laura Carney, Executive Assistant
949-419-0288
[email protected]
| Statements in this press release have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Products or ingredients are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. |
SOURCE ChromaDex
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