PBI's PCT System Expected to Play a Critical Role in
Improving Speed and Accuracy of Rape Kit and Other Forensic
Lab Tests
South Easton, MA, January 31, 2012 - Florida International
University ("FIU") and Pressure
BioSciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: PBIO) ("PBI" and the "Company")
today announced that FIU has been
awarded $349,130 from the Office of Justice Programs of the
Department of Justice ("DoJ"). The grant
will support the continued development of a faster and more
accurate method of processing DNA
evidence for rape prosecutions using PBI's patented
Pressure Cycling Technology ("PCT") Platform.
Dr. Bruce R. McCord, Associate Director of FIU's
International Forensic Research Institute ("IFRI") and
principal investigator of the study, believes the new
testing method has the potential to greatly improve
the processing of sexual assault evidence, thus helping to
reduce the current bottleneck in extracting the
DNA evidence contained in rape kits.
News reports point to a current national backlog of more
than 400,000 completed rape kits, sitting in
storage and awaiting processing and analysis.
Unfortunately, each warehoused kit may be allowing a
rapist to remain free. New rapes cases - estimated at
180,000 annually - tragically add to this backlog.
The DoJ-supported study, entitled "Rapid and selective
extraction of DNA from rape kits and other
forensic evidence using pressure cycling technology", is
expected to help develop and validate a new
DNA extraction technique based on PBI's PCT platform
technology. Dr. McCord and other forensic
researchers at FIU's IFRI, note that the PBI pressure
system ("Barocycler") provides an exciting new
technology that is capable of extracting DNA from rape kits
and other samples without the need to first
separate sperm from female epithelial cells, a complex and
time-consuming procedure.
Dr. Nate Lawrence, VP of Marketing at PBI, said:
"Successful completion of the new PCT-based
processing method would provide a significant new business
channel for PBI, adding to our core
strengths in drug discovery and general molecular sample
preparation applications. The forensics market
consists of hundreds of labs in the US alone, performing
thousands of tests daily. In addition to
instrument sales, we would also expect to supply single-use
consumables and buffers that are proprietary
to our equipment".
FIU's Dr. McCord, a noted expert in forensic DNA research,
describes PBI's PCT technology as having
great potential to simplify the tedious and complex
processing of rape kits. Currently in most forensic
labs, the analyst is required to perform a series of
tedious manual extractions in order to separate male
and
female cells collected on swabs from the victim. With PBI's
PCT System, there is no need to remove
female cells prior to analysis. "The PCT technology permits
the user to selectively burst open and extract
DNA from the perpetrator's sperm cells, while leaving the
victim's own cells in the swab sample
unbroken. This unique capability offers great hope for
significantly improving rape kit analysis."
Dr. McCord's group is scheduled to present an update of
their latest PCT studies at the annual meeting of
the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, February 20 -
25, 2012, in Atlanta, GA.
About Florida International University
Florida International University ("FIU") is Miami-Dade
County's first public, four-year research
university. With more than 38,000 students, 1,000+
full-time faculty members, and more than 135,000
alumni, FIU is recognized as one of the 25th largest
universities in the country based on enrollment. FIU
offers more than 200 bachelor, master and doctoral degree
programs in its colleges and schools. Recently,
the university has achieved several notable milestones,
including the establishment of South Florida's
only public College of Medicine, and the accreditation of
its College of Law.
About the International Forensic Research Institute
The International Forensic Research Institute ("IFRI")
serves local and national law enforcement efforts
in the application of scientific principles to the
administration of justice. The mission of this
selfsupporting
institute is to conduct original research in forensic
science, transfer technologies from other
scientific disciplines for use in forensic applications,
provide scientific expertise to the law enforcement
and legal community and to provide needed continuing
education and advanced training to practicing
scientists. IFRI provides undergraduate, master, and
doctoral level programs in forensic science.
Pressure BioSciences
Pressure BioSciences, Inc. ("PBI") (NASDAQ: PBIO) is
focused on the development, marketing, and
sale of proprietary laboratory instrumentation and
associated consumables based on Pressure Cycling
Technology ("PCT"). PCT is a patented, enabling technology
platform with multiple applications in the
estimated $6 billion life sciences sample preparation
market. PCT uses cycles of hydrostatic pressure
between ambient and ultra-high levels to control
bio-molecular interactions. PBI currently focuses its
efforts on the development and sale of PCT-enhanced sample
preparation systems (instruments and
consumables) for mass spectrometry, biomarker discovery,
bio-therapeutics characterization, vaccine
development, soil and plant biology, forensics, histology,
and counter-bioterror applications.
Forward-Looking Statements
Statements contained in this press release regarding the
Company's intentions, hopes, beliefs,
expectations, or predictions of the future are
"forward-looking" statements within the meaning of the
Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such
forward-looking statements include statements
regarding the expected advantages of PBI's PCT product line
in processing rape kit samples; the potential
for PCT as a tool for the differential extraction of DNA
from sperm cells and epithelial cells, without the
need for prior separation; that the PCT method has the
potential to significantly decrease rape kit
processing time, increase throughput, and improve results;
that the PCT method could result in an
increase in product sales in 2012 and beyond; and the
number of unprocessed rape kits and the number of
new sexual assault cases each year. These statements are
based upon PBI's current expectations, forecasts,
and assumptions that are subject to risks, uncertainties,
and other factors that could cause actual outcomes
and results to differ materially from those indicated by
these forward-looking statements. These risks,
uncertainties, and other factors include, but are not
limited to: the results of the DoJ grant may not
necessarily confirm previous data on the advantages of
using the PCT System in rape kit processing;
unforeseen technological difficulties or business issues in
the implementation of the PCT method in the
processing of rape kits that may impede or prevent the
achievement of the expected advantages of the
PCT method for such processing; due to unforeseen technical
difficulties, or marketing, sales, and
distribution difficulties, the PCT method may not be
adopted by the forensics community as an accepted
workflow for rape kit sample preparation or the forensics
community may not perceive the benefits of
PCT for sample preparation; if actual operating costs are
higher than anticipated, or revenues from
product sales are less than anticipated, the Company may
need additional capital prior to March 2012; and
if the Company fails to achieve its plan to regain
compliance with the NASDAQ Listing Rules for
minimum stockholders' equity and the minimum bid price of
$1.00 per share, the Company's common
stock will be delisted from The NASDAQ Capital Market.
Additional risks and uncertainties that could
cause actual results to differ materially from those
indicated by these forward-looking statements are
discussed under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Company's
Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year
ended December 31, 2010, as amended, and other reports
filed by the Company from time to time with
the SEC. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any
of the information included in this release,
except as otherwise required by law.
PBI filed a registration statement (including a prospectus)
with the SEC for the offering to which this
communication may relate. Before you invest, you should
read the prospectus in that registration
statement for the offering and other documents PBI has
filed with the SEC for more complete information
about PBI and the offering. You may get these documents for
free by visiting EDGAR on the SEC Web
site at www.sec.gov. Alternatively, PBI can arrange to send
you the prospectus, when available, upon
request.
For more information about PBI and this press release,
please click on the following links:
http://www.pressurebiosciences.com
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