Nanalysis Corp. Receives Funding Supporting AI Software Development for Detection of Illicit Substances

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Apr 04, 2024, 08:30 ET

CALGARY, AB, April 4, 2024 /PRNewswire/ - Nanalysis Scientific Corp. ("the Company" or "Nanalysis", TSXV: NSCI, OTCQX: NSCIF, FRA: 1N1), a leader in portable NMR machines, MRI technology for industrial and research applications, and detection equipment services, announces that its subsidiary Nanalysis Corp. is receiving advisory services and up to $1.45 million in non-repayable, non-dilutive funding from the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC IRAP), to develop Artificial Intelligence based software tools to detect illicit substances on top of the Company's portable Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectrometers.

In the global fight against substance abuse, federal, state, provincial, county and municipal governments around the world are tasked with characterizing increasing volumes of seized contraband. This characterization requires an array of different analytical techniques and is carried out by skilled forensic scientists in thousands of laboratories worldwide. In many cases these laboratories face significant sample backlog due to volume and may have difficulties in identifying new designer drugs.

This project, scheduled for three years, will focus on using quantum mechanical modelling and AI tools to perform analysis of magnetic resonance results generated by Nanalysis benchtop instruments. These tools will not only identify known illicit drugs but will also identify unknown drugs that are derivatives of known illicit substances also referred to as designer drugs or new psychoactive substances (NPS). The non-destructive nature of NMR spectroscopy and the fact that unlike traditional forensic testing methods, it is non-targeted, uniquely positions it to help identify these drugs. The company is developing this application in the context of its quantitative NMR platform technology, which has other applications as well, beyond illicit drug detection.

"We are very grateful for the support of NRC IRAP to further develop complementary software for our Benchtop products," said Nanalysis CEO and Founder Sean Krakiwsky. "This project builds on our ongoing relationship with the LKA police organization in Germany and on our continued culture of magnetic resonance innovation. We look forward to providing more solutions for law enforcement in combatting the increasingly societal problem of designer drugs and other deadly toxins."

About Nanalysis Scientific Corp. (TSXV: NSCI, OTCQX: NSCIF, FRA: 1N1)

Nanalysis Scientific Corp. operates two primary businesses: Scientific Equipment and Security Services. Within its Scientific Equipment business is what the Company terms "MRI and NMR for industry". The Company develops and manufactures portable Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectrometers or analyzers for laboratory and industrial markets. The NMReady-60™ was the first full-feature portable NMR spectrometer in a single compact enclosure requiring no liquid helium or any other cryogens. The Company has followed-up that initial offering with new products and continues to have a strong innovation pipeline. In 2020, the Company announced the launch of its 100MHz device, the most powerful and most advanced compact NMR device ever brought to market.

The Company's devices are used in many industries (oil and gas, chemical, mining, pharma, biotech, flavor and fragrances, agrochemicals, law enforcement, and more) as well as numerous government and university research labs around the world. The Company continues to exploit new global market opportunities independently and with partners. With its partners, the Company provides scientific equipment sales and maintenance services globally.

In 2022, through its subsidiary KPrime, the Company was awarded a five-year, $160 million contract with the Government of Canada to provide maintenance services for passenger screening equipment in Canadian airports. This has resulted in the expansion of the Company's Security Services business. The Company is providing airport security equipment maintenance services for the Government of Canada in each province and territory of Canada. In addition, the Company provides commercial security equipment installation and maintenance services to a variety of customers in North America.

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SOURCE Nanalysis Scientific Corp.