PHASIQ works to commercialize lab tool tech

University of Michigan spin-out PHASIQ is looking to bring its new research instrument to a life sciences lab near you in the not-too-distant future. The Ann Arbor-based startup's technology genesis came from research developed by Shuichi Takayama and Arlyne Simon at U-M. The 1-year-old company instrument "provides an ultra-specific diagnostic platform for detecting protein biomarkers in biological samples," according to its company description at this fall's Accelerate Michigan Innovation Competition, where the startup made the semifinals. It offers "the most stringent quality custom assays to pharmaceutical companies for drug and biomarker discovery, advancing personalized medicine." PHASIQ's instruments are currently being used by clinical researchers at the University of Michigan. The company is still tweaking the instrument’s design to streamline its operation. "We're trying to change it so anyone can use it," Takayama says. "We want to make it simple." A $150,000 Small Business Innovation Research grant is currently funding the development of PHASIQ's technology by the startup's core team of four people. The company is aiming to commercialize the instrument midway through next year and is currently working to raise a round of seed capital to make that happen. "We anticipate we will need at least $2 million by 2014," Simon says. Source: Arlyne Simon and Shuichi Takayama, co-founders of PHASIQ Writer: Jon Zemke Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.