KromaTiD Awarded Direct to Phase II SBIR Grant by the National Human Genome Research Institute

LONGMONT, Colo., Aug. 24, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- KromaTiD, Inc. announced today that it was awarded a Direct to Phase II SBIR grant by the National Human Genome Research Institute. The award supports development of a structural variant discovery platform - dGH DSCVR™ - enabling efficient discovery of genomic structural causes of rare disease and measurement of unwanted structural rearrangements that occur during gene editing. Single cell analysis with dGH DSCVR™  will provide data on structural variants at an unparalleled resolution, yielding essential measurements that cannot be made by any other sequencing or cytogenetic method.

KromaTiD currently provides commercial dGH™ products and services to industry and academic researchers assessing the integrity of engineered cells modified by CRISPR/Cas-9, base editing and virally mediated gene therapies. Vice President of Operations, Gretchen Pratt stated, "This funding enables KromaTiD to develop analytical methods for therapeutics generated via CRISPR/Cas-9 and to help identify the genomic structural causes of debilitating diseases.  With the help of the NHGRI, we are excited to expand the range of technology and services we can offer our customers and collaborators."

dGH™ is the most sensitive method to measure genomic rearrangements arising from any cause. Using direct, definitive analysis of the genomic structure of many individual cells, the family of dGH assays provides researchers with single-cell unbiased measurements of structural variation, regardless of complexity, heterogeneity or rarity. This year, with a previous award from NHGRI, KromaTiD completed development of dGH SCREEN™, a single cell, whole genome technique for screening cell libraries and batches of engineered cells. dGH DSCVR™ extends the capabilities of dGH SCREEN™, allowing KromaTiD to discover potentially medically important structural variants, and also identify which genes are impacted by the variant. When combined, dGH SCREEN™ and dGH DSCVR™ will provide medical researchers with unprecedented efficiency in discovering and identifying causes of rare diseases and cancers.

According to KromaTiD's President and Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Christopher Tompkins, "With this SBIR award, the NHGRI is making previously impossible single cell measure of structural variants throughout the human genome not just possible but practical. dGH DSCVR™ isn't only a new method for discovering the cause of rare diseases and cancers, it is also an essential tool for understanding the outcomes of gene editing, and ultimately the most efficient test for the structural variants that cause disease."

About the NHGRI

The SBIR program enables scientific excellence and technological innovation by incentivizing small businesses to engage in commercial research and development.

About KromaTiD

Based in Longmont Colorado, KromaTiD develops and markets a full suite of dGH™ and Pinpoint FISH™ structural solutions, including custom products, to the engineered cells, undiagnosed diseases and oncology markets.

SBIR Research funding announced in this press release is supported by the National Human Genome Research Institute of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number 1 R44 HG011442-01. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

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SOURCE KromaTiD, Inc.