Firefly BioWorks, Inc., a developer of next-generation multiplexed assays for biomarker detection, announced today the awarding of a $500K Grant from the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center. The award was granted through the Center's Small Business Matching Grant Program, which was created to accelerate the commercialization of new products for companies that have already received Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) funding from federal agencies such as the National Institutes of Health.

"We are honored to receive this award and immensely grateful to the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center for believing in our vision." said Davide Marini, Ph.D., co-founder and CEO of Firefly BioWorks. "We look forward to employing these new funds to expand the reach of our products to clinical scientists and research hospitals. Our company is at an inflection point and these funds will accelerate our commercialization and the expansion of our customer base."

"We are a team of engineers, passionate about creating the next generation of tools to enable low-cost personalized medicine" said Daniel Pregibon, Ph.D., Firefly BioWorks co-founder and CTO. "This award will allow us to more rapidly grow our production capacity, introduce new products, and expand our team. Our products are manufactured in Massachusetts and we are committed to strengthening America's manufacturing base by introducing innovative, efficient and environmentally-friendly production methods." said Daniel Pregibon, Ph.D., Firefly BioWorks co-founder and CTO.

"We are leading the world in the life sciences industry because of our growth strategy of investing in education, innovation and infrastructure," said Governor Deval Patrick. "As we continue to strengthen our global leadership in the life sciences, I am especially proud that we are helping our small businesses grow and create jobs."

"The Small Business Matching Grant Program is another example of the Center's leveraging strategy," said Susan Windham-Bannister, Ph.D., President & CEO of the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center. "Federal SBIR/STTR grants provide Massachusetts companies with funds for their research and development; our SBMG program then provides the funds that companies need to bridge to commercialization. We are pleased to add Firefly BioWorks to our portfolio, and to help them commercialize their new microRNA detection technology so that it can reach patients."

About Firefly BioWorks

Firefly BioWorks, Inc. is introducing a high-performance, universal technology platform for multiplexed biomarker detection, with applications in life sciences research and clinical diagnostics. The Firefly platform enables detection of clinically relevant biomolecules with an unprecedented combination of performance, throughput and cost. Firefly products are instrument-independent: assays can be performed on standard laboratory equipment, such as flow cytometers, microarray scanners and fluorescence microscopes. FirePlex(TM), the company's first product, was recently launched and is designed to detect microRNAs, an emerging class of biomarkers that has shown great promise in the diagnosis of cancer, neurological disorders, and many other diseases. Firefly assays require less sample preparation, provide higher throughput, and allow significantly more flexibility in assay configuration than any existing solution for microRNA profiling.

About the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center

The Massachusetts Life Sciences Center (MLSC) is a quasi-public agency of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts tasked with implementing the Massachusetts Life Sciences Act, a ten-year, $1 billion initiative that was signed into law in June of 2008. The Center's mission is to create jobs in the life sciences and support vital scientific research that will improve the human condition. This work includes making financial investments in public and private institutions that are advancing life sciences research, development and commercialization as well as building ties among sectors of the Massachusetts life sciences community. For more information visit: www.masslifesciences.com.