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Feb, 2008 - iCyt is awarded the 2008 Frost & Sullivan Award for Emerging Technology

Frost & Sullivan is proud to recognize iCyt Mission Technology, Inc. with the 2008 Award for Emerging Technology in the U.S. Flow Cytometry Market for its success in development and launch of Reflection, an innovative and highly automated parallel sorting technology. With translational efforts moving from basic research to clinical therapy, there is an increasing demand for sophisticated bio-safe methods for sorting live cells. In response to this need, Reflection provides complete, automated, high throughput and cost-effective cell processing and sorting solutions to biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and research institutions.

Read full Frost & Sullivan Award release >

 

May 8, 2007 - iCyt Named One of Illinois ’ Best Places to Work

iCyt is excited to announce that it has been named one Illinois ’ “Best Places to Work!”

This prestigious honor is based on a comprehensive review of the workplace environment and practices of iCyt (including both iCyt Visionary Bioscience and iCyt Mission Technology) by the Best Companies Group of Harrisburg , Pa. The award criteria included an in-depth, confidential survey of all employees, covering such topics as career advancement, compensation, and organizational strategy.

iCyt joins such companies as Deloitte & Touche, Quest Diagnostics and Ernst & Young in being named of the State’s best places to be employed. An Awards Ceremony is scheduled for June 13, 2007 , at Danada House in Wheaton , Illinois , where individual rankings of the top firms will be unveiled.

Tim Hoerr, CEO of the iCyt companies commented, “We are honored and very excited to be recognized as one of the State of Illinois ’ best places to work. Throughout our brief history, we’ve tried diligently to create a stimulating and challenging environment for each of our professionals. As our companies have succeeded, we have rewarded each member of the team for his or her role in making it happen. As a result, many of our people are fond of saying ‘Thank God It’s Monday!’ as opposed to the more common version of that catch-phrase.”

One of the sponsoring organizations of the Best Places to Work program is The Business Ledger, Chicago ’s premier business publication. “We are pleased to recognize the best places to work in our state,” said James E. Elsener, president of Ledger Publishing, Inc., and publisher of The Business Ledger. “The quality of the top firms in each category is extremely high and we’re confident that they will take great pride in being selected.

The Business Ledger recently published the list of the all award winners. For complete details, please see the Business Ledger's Best Places to Work 2007.

 

May 1, 2007 - iCyt Reflection™ Cited in Recently Published Standard Safety Practices for Sorting of Unfixed Cells

With considerable advances in cell biology driving increasing demand for sorting of live, unfixed cells, a distinguished panel of flow cytometry experts has recently authored comprehensive standard safety practices for such situations. Published by Wiley InterScience® as part of its Current Protocols in Cytometry series, the full text of the article can be found by here.

The Standard Safety Practices article notes that “cell sorting of viable biological specimens has become widespread in laboratories involved in basic and clinical research. As these samples can contain infectious agents, precautions to protect instrument operators and the environment from hazards arising from the use of sorters are paramount.”

The article elaborates further:

Biological particles 0.1 µm to 60 µm in size (e.g., aerosols) have been found to be important in the spread of infectious diseases.

Considering the potential for exposure to aerosols during cell sorting, it is incumbent on the investigator who wishes to have such live, unfixed cells sorted or analyzed to determine the appropriate biosafety level (BSL), and in conjunction with the flow cytometry laboratory director or manager and the sorter operator, review all the appropriate safety procedures for the particular pathogen for risk assessment.

Ever mindful of the growing concern for proper risk management in the sorting of live, unfixed and possibly pathogenic cells, the innovative engineering team at iCyt Visionary Bioscience, Inc. engaged a number of highly respected Principal Investigators to listen to their key concerns as well as their input on potential solutions. Taking that input, the iCyt professionals worked intimately with the engineering team of The Baker Company to successfully design the recently released Reflection™ cell sorter for seamless integration with the industry standard Baker biological safety cabinet. As the Standard Safety Practices article notes, “more recently compact high-speed sorters that can be integrated into a biosafety cabinet, such as…the Reflection (iCyt Visionary Bioscience, Champaign , IL ), have become commercially available. These secondary containment systems permit sorting of materials classified as BSL-2 using BSL-2 practices.”

Gary Durack, Chief Technical Officer and Founder of iCyt commented, “When we began the design process of the Reflection, the message from many respected cytometry researchers was quite clear. Biosafety containment must no longer be an afterthought, an add-on or worst of all, ignored. Protection of the instrument operator and her colleagues in the laboratory is of critical importance. For these reasons, the Reflection was designed from the ground up to be an instrument that would integrate with a biological safety cabinet that many recognize as a world leader, The Baker Company Sterilgard Advance.”

Dr. Federico Zuckermann, Professor of Immunology, in the Department of Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois, remarked, “It is critically important that biohazardous sorts be done in a certified biosafe environment such as the iCyt Reflection Biosafety instrument. I have been very impressed with the incredible amount of forethought and elegant design built into the Reflection system.”

iCyt prides itself on providing innovative, market-driven solutions in the field of cytometry. With the commercial launch of the Reflection instrument well under way, researchers like those at St. Jude Children’s Hospital and Case Western Reserve University Comprehensive Cancer Center are now experiencing breakthroughs enabled by the most sophisticated droplet cell sorter ever introduced.

For more information, contact sales@i-cyt.com or 217.693.4470 .

 

December 10, 2006 - Carle, UI, iCyt teaming up to better isolate adult stem cells

Carle Foundation, the University of Illinois and iCyt Mission Technology are preparing to join forces to use iCyt's technology to isolate adult stem cells for research purposes.

"We're focusing on several areas, " said Larry Schook, who focuses on regenerative biology and tissue engineering at the UI's Institute for Genomic Biology.

The group hopes to isolate adult stem cells from bone marrow for use in treating cardiovascular disease, heart attacks and cancer and in developing new bone tissue, Schook said.

The researchers will work in a lab operated by Carle and the institute in space inside the iCyt building.

"We'll be using their (cell-sorting) instrument to benchmark against other approaches for the isolation of adult stem cells, and we'll be developing a laboratory to do research," Schook said.

"We wanted to be close to iCyt so we could work with their engineers and their designers to make improvements, trying to get the clinical applications developed," he added.

"This is a major first for the campus and community, but it's also important nationally," Schook said. "We're linking transforming technology from iCyt with bioengineering at the genomic institute and with direct clinical outcomes at Carle and Northwestern."

The institute has been a partner on a project with a stem cell research group at Northwestern's medical school, he said.

"This should be an incredible opportunity for us to work with Carle," Schook said, adding he expects the work to be a two- or three-year project.

Dr. James Leonard, president of the Carle Foundation, said the project could end up bringing new M.D./Ph.D.s into the community. He said Carle already has a memorandum of understanding with the institute to support the research efforts of Dr. Michael Goldwasser, whose interests include regeneration of bone tissue.

For Carle, Leonard said, the collaboration could develop "technologies that might be helpful to our patients."

"As you look at what's going on with adult stem cells – not embryonic stem cells – this is an important area to begin work on, to get familiar with how adult stem cell research could contribute to patients' health over time, " Leonard said. "It could be five to 10 years before we might begin to see something applicable."

The collaborators hope to develop a process in which more adult stem cells can be produced, isolated more quickly and made more stable so they can be shipped to researchers working on Parkinson's disease and different neurological and spinal cord problems, he said.

"What iCyt produces is a machine that essentially takes blood, sorts it out and pulls out adult stem cells. Currently, that's a very laborious process and you get small amounts of stem cells. We hope that with our cooperation and Larry providing the research side, adult stem cells will be more readily available and we can help supply other researchers," Leonard said.

Schook said the institute has gotten about $1 million in funding from the Illinois Regenerative Medicine Institute for a project to isolate adult stem cells from bone marrow, blood and fat.

Leonard said Carle expects to contribute about $250,000 to the collaboration.

"This is very unique," he said. "Other people are thinking about it, but we're leading the pack on this."

 

November 16 , 2006 - University of Illinois Veterinary Medicine Teams Up with iCyt

Dr. Federico Zuckermann, Professor of immunology, in the Department of Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois, has long had an interest in demonstrating the role of specific cellular defense mechanisms in providing protection from virus infections. His important work is now being enabled by powerful cell sorting technology recently introduced by iCyt Mission Technology, Inc. The Reflection cell sorter, with the multiple highly automated parallel sorting modules, is assisting Dr. Zuckermann by dramatically reducing sort times and by producing superior results.

Dr. Zuckermann recently remarked, “I have been extremely impressed with the sensitivity and efficiency of the Reflection instrument. Our laboratory is performing a very difficult porcine cell sort, isolating a population with an expected incidence of approximately 0.15. The Reflection cell sorter has performed brilliantly, producing highly pure cell populations. This in turn, enables our research considerably.”

Gary Durack, iCyt Founder and Chief Technology Officer, has been working intimately with Dr. Zuckermann and his team. With over 28 years in flow cytometry, Gary has worked with nearly every piece of cytometry equipment in the last three decades. He commented, “The Reflection is producing sort results that are quite astounding. They are perhaps the best sorts I have seen in my life-long career in flow.” He went on to say, “The important virus research being conducted by Dr. Zuckermann can now advance where it was previously unable to go. To play a key role in that advancement is very gratifying for the entire iCyt team.”

The collaboration between iCyt and the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine goes beyond the provision of equipment. An interdisciplinary team is working together to define research goals and to optimize cell sorting performance to reach those goals. This approach emphasizes the importance of involving the customer in the advancement of instrument technology at iCyt. The end result? All customers of iCyt, present and future, get to experience the benefits of technology that is more functional and powerful than any other commercial offering.

 

August 9, 2006 - Washington UniversitySchool of Medicine, St. Louis , and iCyt Announce Cell Sorting Collaboration

Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis , is the first recipient of iCyt Mission Technology’s Reflection™ cell sorting instrument. This robust, four-sort-channel instrument will become the workhorse instrument in the High Speed Cell Sorter Core of the Siteman Cancer Center at Wash U. Dr. Timothy Graubert is the Core Director and Mr. William Eades is the Lab Manager (see http://www.siteman.wustl.edu/cellsorter.aspx).

The instrument was installed in late July, 2006, by iCyt’s Technology Delivery Team and will be followed by an additional instrument arriving in late August. The second instrument is scheduled for installation in the Siteman Cancer Center ’s Good Manufacturing Practices facility and will be performing cell sorting for human study and therapy. The GMP -upgraded Reflection instrument is seamlessly integrated into a biological safety cabinet built by the globally respected Baker Company.

Bill Eades commented, “The Reflection was the best choice to expand our core and create new offerings to our users that have measurable enhancements to sorting quality. The parallel cell sorting design is absolutely unique and is not the only major innovation to our discipline offered by this platform. Flow cytometry instrumentation development has long required this type of ‘outside of the lines’ design mindset.”

Mr. Gary Durack, Chief Technology Officer of iCyt, added, “Washington University School of Medicine is truly pioneering research and therapeutic applications of high speed cell sorting. iCyt is grateful for the opportunity to work together with Dr. Graubert, Mr. Eades, and the entire High Speed Cell Sorter Core staff. This is a world-class facility where translational efforts from basic research to clinical therapy have a rich history. iCyt is pleased to support Washington University in these efforts.”

The instrument placements at Washington University are part of a multi-site pre-commercial launch being conducted by iCyt Mission Technology. Full commercial launch of the Reflection™ is scheduled for late autumn 2006.

 

June, 2006 - Four U of I Research Park firms win grants

Four companies at the University of Illinois Research Park have been named winners of Innovative Product Grants from the state Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.

Caviton, iCyt, Kim Laboratories and SmartSpark Energy Systems will receive grants totaling $550,000 to help underwrite the cost of developing new products with applications for homeland security.

read full press release at www.tmcnet.com

 

May, 2006 - Introducing Reflection™, the Most Sophisticated Droplet Cell Sorting Instrument Ever

Coinciding with the cytometry field’s most important conference and exposition, ISAC XXIII International Congress, iCyt Mission Technology is pleased to announce the introduction of the Reflection cell sorting instrument. Truly a paradigm-breaking collection of technologies, the Reflection is the most sophisticated droplet cell sorting instrument ever to come to market.

The Reflection offers up to four sorting modules on one instrument frame. Each of these Highly Automated Parallel Sorting (HAPS) modules can operate independently or in concert with the other HAPS modules, offering the end user remarkable flexibility and capacity. Cytometrists can start simple – with a single HAPS module, or can equip their instruments with multiple sorting modules from the very beginning.

With sharing of lasers, detectors, computer and software across multiple HAPS modules, customers will enjoy the tremendous cost-effectiveness of the Reflection. But the benefits only start there. With the system’s modularity and different options for configuration, scientists will be emboldened to design new experiments and push the frontiers of flow cytometry.

“The Reflection instrument is the culmination of many years’ of design and development by the iCyt team of professionals. In many ways, it draws upon my life experience of nearly 30 years in the cytometry field, yet boldly establishes new standards of performance,” stated Gary Durack, the instrument’s key architect and founder of iCyt.

Members of the Scientific Advisory Board of iCyt, intimately involved in later stages of design and prototyping, have been enthusiastic in their evaluation of the instrument. In a meeting at iCyt headquarters in early May, the Board gathered to give the Reflection a thorough once-over. Present at iCyt to offer critical input and feedback were:

  • Dr. Jim Jacobberger, Case Western Reserve , Cleveland
  • Dr. Charles Goolsby, Northwestern University, Chicago
  • Mr. John Daley, Dana-Farber, Harvard University, Boston
  • Dr. Bruce Bagwell, Verity Software House, Topsham, Maine

Dr. Bagwell noted “The iCyt team has developed a world class product. I am very pleased that Verity Software House is partnering with iCyt to bring remote cytometry capability to the marketplace. This is a breakthrough achievement for the industry.”

Following the ISAC XXIII introduction, pre-commercial release instruments are scheduled for delivery to laboratories throughout summer, 2006. Participating institutions in this phase of instrument release are:

  • Washington University at St. Louis , Mr. Bill Eades, Dr. Timothy Graubert
  • St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital , Dr. Richard Cross
  • College of Veterinary Medicine , University of Illinois , Dr. Federico Zuckermann

“We are extremely pleased with the partnership we’re enjoying with the institutions and esteemed scientists that represent the pre-commercial release Reflection units,” said Fredrick Molnar, Chief Sales, Marketing and Service Officer of iCyt. “Full commercial release of the instrument system will take place in early Fall, 2006.”

Reservations for instrument delivery dates are now being scheduled by the iCyt sales and service team. Contact them at sales@i–cyt.com. For more information, see the Products section of www.i–cyt.com.

 

May, 2006 - iCyt Announces Major Facility Expansion

With continued growth and the introduction a major new product, the iCyt companies have announced a 10,000 square foot expansion within the iCyt Building . The expansion will accommodate the expanding inventory, manufacturing and assembly operations of iCyt, as it brings the Reflection cell sorter instrument to the marketplace.

“We relocated to the iCyt Building in May, 2005, and have enjoyed these beautiful and inspiring facilities for nearly one year,” commented Tim Hoerr, CEO of the iCyt companies. “Now we are expanding our company with the addition of 10,000 more square feet of space as demand for our products has seen a large spike upward. We will occupy approximately half of the entire iCyt Building , which is a 45,000 square foot facility, located at the edge of a scenic body of water in the Research Park at University of Illinois.”

“All of team members are enthusiastic about this expansion, especially those in the manufacturing group,” said Gary Durack, company founder and Chief Technology Officer.

Mike Yoder, Manufacturing Manager, indicated, “We worked closely with Fox Development to develop an expansion plan that would accommodate our present and future needs. Their team has done a tremendous job keeping the project on time and under budget. We expect to be operational during the first week of June.”

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