Starpharma today
announced that its wholly owned subsidiary Dendritic Nanotechnologies
Inc (DNT) will develop its proprietary technology to purify water
following the award of a contract with the US Department of
Defense’s (DoD) Strategic Environmental Research and
Development Program.
The US$1.3m DoD contract was awarded to DNT and the Central
Michigan University Research Corporation to develop water remediation
technology using DNT’s Priostar™ dendrimer-based
nanotechnology.
The dendrimer is to act as a sponge to soak up toxic chemicals
from ground-water, leaving the water purer and useable. The
ability of a dendrimer to pack a large functional surface area into a
small particle makes it an appropriate choice for the application.
Successful completion of this project, which was sponsored by
U.S. Senator Carl Levin and Congressman David Camp, will provide DoD
with a new generation cost effective, environmentally acceptable water
remediation system. Starpharma retains commercialisation
rights to technology developed under the program.
Starpharma CEO Jackie Fairley commented:
“Uncontaminated water is already in short supply in many
regions throughout the world and increased water stress resulting from
climate change is expected to make things worse. Whilst this
is a non-core area for Starpharma it addresses an important global
issue and is a commercially relevant application of dendrimers which
may yield royalty income in the future.”
Posted 9th August 2007
