Category Archives: Press Releases

We’re excited to share that our company, Quadrant Biosciences, has been recognized as the New York Technology Business of the Year for our breakthrough epigenetic research!

The award, presented by the New York State Small Business Development Center (SBDC),  recognizes the boldest, brightest, and best small companies in New York State.

Although Quadrant is a relatively young company, we’ve been able to make significant discoveries in the world of epigenetics. This is due, in large part, to our relationships with highly regarded epigenetic researchers at SUNY Upstate Medical University and Penn State College of Medicine, as well as financial support for the research from the American Academy of Pediatrics, the National Institutes of Health, and the Kirson-Kolodner-Fedder Charitable Fund.  But what really drives our work, as our Founder and CEO Rich Uhlig points out, is the desire to help others.

“We’re a different kind of company at our core,” explains Uhlig.  “We’re fundamentally in the service of others. That philosophy is shared by everyone at Quadrant and positively impacts everything we do.”

Quadrant’s business advisor at the Binghamton University SBDC, Chuck Schwerin, explained why he nominated the company for this award.  “Their epigenetic breakthrough may change the lives of countless individuals with neurological challenges whose conditions may now be detected far earlier than was thought possible. Rich [Uhlig] was a deserving winner of this year’s award, and I look forward to observing the impact the company will make in the coming years.”

We hope to continue to positively impact the lives of others as we further our epigenetic research around autism, Parkinson’s Disease, concussion and other public health challenges.

For more about the award, read the press release here.

We’re excited to share that our company, Quadrant Biosciences, has been awarded a $330,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).  This grant will support the next phase in our autism research.
Previously, the NIH awarded us a $2 million  Phase II Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grant for the refinement and commercialization of an epigenetic autism diagnostic test focused on non-coding and microbial transcripts found in the saliva.

In this newest phase, Quadrant Biosciences will be examining the saliva of  1,000 children to learn more about the protein coding regions of the genome. These variations in the coding regions could help identify differences based on population ancestry.  We’re hoping these results can enhance our ability to identify precise biomarkers that will improve the diagnosis, clinical care, and outcomes of individuals with ASD even more.

“We are very excited about the opportunity to explore the relationships between the protein-coding regions of the genome and the epigenetic biomarkers we’ve been studying for the past several years,” said Rich Uhlig, founder and CEO of Quadrant Biosciences.

To read more about the grant, click here.

This research is supported by the National Institutes of Health under Application Number 2 R42 MH111347-02A1. The content of this blogis solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

We’re excited to share that our company has been working on a new, rapid diagnostic test for COVID-19.

Once again, we’ve partnered with researchers at SUNY Upstate Medical University to develop this saliva-based RNA assay.

As you know, we have developed the world’s first epigenetic saliva test for autism called Clarifi™ ASD. When the COVID-19 pandemic started to take hold in the U.S., Dr Frank Middleton, Associate Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (among other appointments) at SUNY Upstate Medical, realized that some of the experience and knowledge gained from the development of Clarifi ASD, could be used to help develop a saliva test to diagnose the COVID-19 virus.

And just like Clarifi ASD, which looks at RNA in the saliva, this saliva swab for coronavirus will be using similar technology. Our director of the clinical research lab, Rhianna Ericson, gave a little more detail into the process in a new video.

“[The] technology is similar to our Clarifi ASD saliva test. But unlike Clarifi ASD which relies on a variation of particles, called RNA, in the saliva, that we use to detect autism, we’re looking for the presence of the COVID-19 RNA strand, which is already identified,” Ericson explained.

The goal? To help expedite lab processing time and hopefully create an easy to administer saliva test to be deployed in the field.

We’ll be sure to keep you updated in the coming weeks! The best way to make sure you get the news quickest is by following us on social media, so if you haven’t yet, check out our Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or Instagram pages.

In the meantime, we hope everyone stays safe and practices healthy habits. If you have any questions about the exciting diagnostic pipeline our team is working on, don’t hesitate to reach out!

Over the past six months, Quadrant Biosciences has been working in collaboration with New York State to develop and implement several COVID-19 detection projects.

These include a program to detect the SARS-CoV-2 RNA virus in wastewater, and a pooled testing program for New York colleges.

In a recent press release, Governor Cuomo announced these new testing initiatives and how he expects them to improve COVID-19 detection and control throughout New York State. Missed the announcement? No worries! You can read a summary of his release below.

Wastewater Detection Project Granted $500k for Pilot Program

Quadrant Biosciences has partnered with Syracuse University, SUNY Environmental Science and Forestry, SUNY Upstate Medical University, and engineering consulting firm Arcadis, to monitor the presence of SARS-CoV-2, the strand of RNA associated with COVID-19, in wastewater. We are currently monitoring wastewater in a number of municipalities and universities across New York State. Results of this surveillance technique can provide early warning of COVID-19 presence in the community, and guide public policy decision-making.

SUNY Pooled Testing Using Saliva Swabs

Quadrant Biosciences and SUNY Upstate Medical University have also teamed up to implement pooled sampling that’s currently being used in over 29 locations throughout New York, including Onondaga County and dozens of New York colleges.

With this method, up to 24 samples are collected and combined into a pooled batch. Once the sample is collected, it’s preserved in an RNA stabilizing solution until a full batch or pooled sample can be analysed. If the batch comes back negative, all individuals in that pool are presumed to not carry the SARS-CoV-2 RNA virus. If it comes back positive, everyone in that group will be individually tested. This approach provides a quick and cost effective way to test large groups of individuals. Moreover, rather than performing a nasal swab, an individual simply swabs between their cheek and gum line on each side of the mouth for 10 seconds.

Quadrant Biosciences and SUNY Upstate Medical University have been chosen as recipients of MedTech’s 2020 Project of the Year award for the development of the Clarifi COVID-19 saliva test.

The award recognizes an initiative that has had a “singular and demonstrable positive impact on public health.” The Clarifi COVID-19 saliva test was co-developed by Quadrant and SUNY Upstate and was recently listed as the most sensitive saliva test on the market by the FDA.

According to MedTech Executive Director Winthrop Thurlow, the Clarifi COVID-19 saliva test “leapt off the page,” when the organization was considering its annual honors.

“It was really the stand-out project of the year,” Thurlow said. “One of the criteria is the project should have a significant impact on the industry in New York or the advancement of healthcare in New York state.

When we look at the Upstate/Quadrant partnership we really saw that as a significant advancement over the last year in the delivery of healthcare. And it clearly won’t be limited to the residents of New York state, it has worldwide potential.”

MedTech, a state-wide trade association based in New York, is made of more than 100 pharmaceutical, biotech and medical technology companies, their suppliers and services providers, and research universities.

MedTech’s 2020 Honors Ceremony will be Thursday, January 14, 2021, from 4-5pm. Interested attendees can register for the event by clicking here.

This past December, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ranked the Clarifi COVID-19 Test Kit as the most sensitive COVID-19 saliva test currently available on the market.

In a statement released by the office of Governor Andrew Cuomo, the Governor congratulated Quadrant Biosciences and SUNY Upstate Medical for our work developing the Clarifi COVID-19 Test Kit.

“New York’s medical experts are second to none and from the very beginning of this pandemic, we have relied on their vast knowledge and expertise to inform our response,” Cuomo said.

“This crucial development and expertise has played a critical role in ensuring SUNY students were tested efficiently and, if positive, isolated and on a path to recovery sooner. On behalf of the family of New York, I thank SUNY Upstate Medical, Quadrant Biosciences, and Dr. Frank Middleton for their diligence and steadfast commitment to fighting this invisible enemy.”

Throughout the fall semester of 2020, this easy to administer saliva test was used state-wide to test college students for the presence of the coronavirus RNA strand before they went back to school, before returning home for break, and during the semester. Combined with Quadrant’s wastewater surveillance and pooled testing tactics, colleges across the states were able to monitor the presence of COVID-19 on campus, to ensure the safety of faculty and students on campus.

Currently, the Clarifi COVID-19 Test Kit has expanded outside the collegiate system, and is being implemented in nursing homes as well as the Albany International Airport.

According to Governor Cuomo’s press release, “the FDA reviews COVID-19 tests based on the effectiveness of finding the smallest traces of SARS-CoV-2, the virus which causes COVID-19. Tests with lower LoDs are better able to detect infections at the earliest stages when individuals may be infectious, but asymptomatic.”

The Clarifi COVID-19 Test Kit has the lowest Limit of Detection of any saliva test on the market, at just 600 NDU/mL.

“Upstate Medical’s and Quadrant Biosciences’ saliva test is significant for SUNY—not only fast and easy to use with results back within 48 hours, but also the test itself finds the virus within the earliest stages of the illness, so we can know who is positive more quickly and ensure they isolate from others,” said SUNY Chancellor Jim Malatras.

Governor Cuomo also addressed our pooled surveillance efforts in his release, which uses the Clarifi COVID-19 swab to test 10-25 people at a single time.

Quadrant Biosciences’ laboratory professionals were honored this week with proclamations and citations from numerous New York State Assembly members, county executives, and others, highlighting their hard work and dedication.

The following officials showed their support for Quadrant’s laboratory staff by way of proclamation or citation:

• New York State Assemblyman and House Majority Speaker Carl E. Heastie of Assembly District 83
• New York State Assemblyman Al Stirpe of Assembly District 127
• New York State Assemblywoman Mary Beth Walsh of Assembly District 112
• New York State Assemblyman Chris Burdick of Assembly District 93
• Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz and Erie County Health Commissioner Dr. Gale Burstein
• Members of the Erie County Legislature
• Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon

A press conference was held Tuesday at the Institute for Human Performance on the Upstate Medical University campus, during which Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon presented Rita Romano, President of Quadrant Laboratories, a subsidiary of Quadrant Biosciences, and Quadrant laboratory professionals with a proclamation.

McMahon preceded the presentation with remarks about the Quadrant team’s accomplishments saying, “Because of the work you have done, we have been able to test people in our neighborhoods to keep them safe and keep schools open… so I wanted to really just thank you so, so much because you have been a key component.”

Romano, who spoke after receiving the proclamation, said, “On behalf of Quadrant Biosciences and Quadrant Laboratories, I am honored to accept this proclamation as we honor and celebrate the hardworking Laboratory Professionals this week. They are the unsung heroes of healthcare and assure patients are receiving the highest quality lab results in the most efficient way.”

Click here to see our YouTube page and to view a clip from the press conference.

Quadrant Biosciences is pleased to announce that our CEO and Founder, Rich Uhlig, has received The 2022 CNY Business Journal Excellence in Healthcare Award for Healthcare Innovator.

The Excellence in Healthcare Award for Healthcare Innovator honors a person or organization that is responsible for the discovery or development of a medical procedure, device or treatment that can save or improve lives for many people. By reading below, you can learn more about the hard work Uhlig and Quadrant Biosciences did to earn this prestigious award. To watch the ceremony, you can click the link here.

Quadrant’s creation of a COVID-19 Saliva Test was able to help fill a gap that existed for access to testing for COVID-19 in New York State. In December 2021, Quadrant was tasked by New York Governor Kathy Hochul to set up COVID-19 testing sites at SUNY campuses throughout the state to help combat the Omicron wave of COVID. Throughout January 2022, Quadrant did just that. Quadrant established more than 51 test sites on SUNY campuses throughout the state. To date, Quadrant has processed nearly 4 million tests since August 2020.

The January effort to combat Omicron would have been impossible without the innovation sparked two years earlier. At the start of the pandemic, Dr. Frank Middleton, a scientist at SUNY Upstate Medical University, who Quadrant partnered with for the development of novel saliva tests, realized that the sampling and collection method used to analyze non-coding RNA in saliva could be used for the detection of COVID-19, which is an RNA virus. There is an abundance of RNA in your saliva, and COVID sheds mRNA into your mouth during infection, making it possible to determine a positive or negative infection.

What followed was an intense effort to make a test that was sensitive and easy to use. That led to SUNY Upstate’s and Quadrant’s creation of the COVID-19 Saliva Test, a simple, non-invasive test that uses a saliva swab. As a result, it currently boasts the lowest limit of detection on the market, according to the FDA’s reference panel testing.

The test itself was only part of the process. Next, Quadrant solved another issue: how to get people their results. The solution was to establish Quadrant’s online platform for patients to access their results. This online application integrated with New York State’s ECLRS database for easier contact tracing throughout the pandemic. Which showcases yet another hurdle Quadrant overcame through ingenuity and determination.

Although the exact number of lives saved or made better would be impossible to quantify, Quadrant Biosciences has served the community well, processing nearly 4 million tests and counting for New York State residents.

BSI is recognized globally as one of the most experienced independent assessors of best practice

Quadrant Biosciences, a life sciences company dedicated to improving the lives of children and families by delivering innovative diagnostics, therapeutic, and virtual care solutions for global health priorities, has announced that its quality management system achieved a BSI certificate of registration for ISO 13485. This certification is an internationally recognized quality management system standard, important to designers, manufacturers, and distributors of medical devices. ISO 13485 provides a tool for a thorough audit to test the effectiveness of the system.

Stacy Masterson, VP of Quality at Quadrant Biosciences, said, “To gain the ISO 13485 certification was a great accomplishment to achieve by Quadrant Biosciences.  Allison Iles, Quality Manager, and I put a lot of hard work into ensuring the company’s Quality Management system (QMS) meets all regulatory requirements. To have all our hard work and QMS meet the stringent standards of the International Standard Organization (ISO) is something we are both profoundly proud of.”