VIC Client Lands SBIR Grant

Yet another Virtual Incubation Corp. client has received a Small Business Innovation Research award — this time it’s a Phase II from the National Institutes of Health and worth $740,000.

The SBIR goes to BioDetection Instruments LLC of Fayetteville to develop an instrument for rapid detection of multiple pathogens like E. coli and Salmonella in ready-to-eat foods such as processed meat, poultry and even fruits and vegetables — items that don’t necessarily get full cooking time and temperature before consumption.

The company estimates contaminated food to cause 76 million illnesses and 5,000 deaths in the U.S. alone, with an estimated economic impact of $10 billion a year.

BioDetection’s resulting instrument could have phenomenal positive economic influence on food distributors and producers like Tyson Foods Inc. of Springdale, which could test food quickly and efficiently.

This is the fifth SBIR BioDetection Instruments has received since becoming a VIC client in January of 2003.