NORCROSS, Ga., Oct. 1, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Immucor, Inc., a global leader in transfusion and transplantation diagnostics, today announced that it has acquired Sentilus, Inc., a privately-held company focused on developing a novel, inkjet-printed antibody microarray-based technology, Femtoarrays™. Sentilus has been developing Femtoarrays and the underlying technology for use in a variety of in vitro diagnostics areas, including transfusion diagnostics.
Durham, NC-based Sentilus is led by Prof. Ashutosh Chilkoti, Chair of the Department of Biomedical Engineering and Director of the Center for Biologically Inspired Materials and Material Systems at Duke University, and co-founder and CEO Angus Hucknall. Sentilus was formed in 2012 with the goal of developing applications of a non-fouling surface coating developed by Prof. Chilkoti. Sentilus's primary commercialization efforts have focused on the use of this coating technology for clinical diagnostics, based on Mr. Hucknall's doctoral research with Prof. Chilkoti.
"We are very impressed with Sentilus' Femtoarrays technology, which we think will be a great fit with our transfusion business as a potential next generation technology platform," stated William A. Hawkins, Immucor's President and Chief Executive Officer. "Femtoarrays will underpin a full complement of next generation immunohematology assays. Additionally, we believe the technology has the potential for broad application throughout in vitro diagnostics."
"We are excited to be teaming up with Immucor to advance the development of our proprietary technology," stated Dr. Chilkoti. "With Immucor's focus on ensuring transfusion and transplantation safety, we are excited to join forces with them to bring our novel microarray-based technology to the market."
About Immucor
Founded in 1982, Immucor is a global leader in transfusion and transplantation diagnostics that facilitate patient-donor compatibility. Our mission is to ensure that patients in need of blood, organs or stem cells get the right match that is safe, accessible and affordable. With the right match, we can transform a life together. For more information on Immucor, please visit our website at www.immucor.com.