Minotaur Technologies, LLC Receives A Technology Development Program Investment

Monday, Jun 11, 2007

In the first week of June, Minotaur Technologies, LLC and the Arkansas Science & Technology Authority signed a Technology Development Program investment agreement. Minotaur Technologies, LLC, formed in 2003, is a biophotonics company whose mission is to develop new laser-based instrumentation.

The investment dollars will be used to bridge a gap in funding between Phase I and II of a project to develop an instrument for stimulating individual cells or even specific portions of a single cell within a cell culture environment. The project is designed to address a broad range of cell biology problems in neuroscience and other areas. Its applications include focusing on stem-cell differentiation and in vitro testing of cellular response to emerging treatments.

There are numerous commercial possibilities for the project. While many areas of basic biomedical research could utilize the proposed technology, the Fayetteville-based firm envisions a major application of this technology is in the field of cellular neurobiology, a field of study which receives large levels of research funding from federal sources, private foundations, and within various biologically oriented companies.

The company expects to release its first product to market shortly after completion of the first year of the anticipated Phase II STTR project in December 2008. At the same time, this Authority funded company is exploring additional biophotonics related intellectual property that can be licensed and developed exclusively by the firm.