Arcxis Biotechnologies Release: Tentacle Probe(TM) Offers Assurance for Anthrax Detection

PLEASANTON, CA -- (MARKET WIRE) -- February 28, 2007 -- Arcxis Biotechnologies and United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) announced today the successful conclusion of their recent joint collaboration using Arcxis’s patented Tentacle Probe technology for the detection of bacterial pathogens. Investigators demonstrated that the resulting assay was targeted to a chromosomal sequence in the gyrA gene of B. anthracis (anthrax), an organism which is a common focus of bioterrorist interest. The Tentacle Probe assay eliminated false positives, previously observed with closely related and naturally occurring bacterial species, such as B. cereus. The improved performance is due to the incorporation of multiple binding sites into the probe that combine to have a very strong overall cooperative effect.

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