Applied Isotope Technologies Congratulates Duquesne University Mass Spectrometry Facility on its Designation as a Center of Excellence by Agilent

PITTSBURGH, March 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Applied Isotope Technologies (AIT), a technology-centric corporation committed to innovation in the metrology field, issued this statement through its Chief Executive Officer, Matt Pamuku regarding the Mass Spectrometry Facility in the Bayer School at Duquesne University receiving designation as an Agilent Center of Excellence.

AIT is a privately-funded, development stage company that is focused on the creation and advancement of transformational measurement tools that are used in environmental health, environmental forensics, biomedical research and homeland security.

During the past four years, AIT has supported major research and collaboration projects at Duquesne University under the supervision of Professor Skip Kingston, the inventor of AIT's licensed technology and company Chief Technologist. Projects include an autism study that is collaboration between Duquesne University, and the Children's Institute (CI) of Pittsburgh. This project aims to study the environmental influences that might affect the onset and progression of Autism Spectrum of Disorders (ASD). Duquesne and CI scientists will apply AIT's products to solve complex measurement challenges that researchers face as they collect and analyze data. This, in turn, may lead to new modes of assessment and diagnosis of autism.

AIT Chief Executive Officer Matt Pamuku stated, "There is an urgent need for an accurate biochemical diagnostic tool that will permit accurate assessment and early intervention of ASD which afflicts as many as 1 in 150 children in the USA today. We are so proud that our products are part of the ASD work that is being lead by Skip Kingston at Duquesne University."  Mr. Pamuku continued, "In the future, these measurements will reveal new information that may lead to better health risk assessment and early intervention choices for ASD similar to currently mandated tests that are done for all newborn babies in the US. Today's designation puts Duquesne University among an elite group of Agilent-recognized MS Centers of Excellence. Congratulations!"

Since its incorporation in 2003, AIT has entirely focused on creation of new technologies, quantitative measurement tools, and related products and services for analyses in environmental, biological markets, and in early cancer detection. The company's products play a critical role in providing significantly improved levels of accuracy, sensitivity and convenience in trace and sub-trace analyses using an important class of analytical instruments called mass spectrometers.

AIT's products are also used to test for, in our food and food substitutes, highly toxic chemical and carcinogens that are very difficult or impossible to measure with existing techniques.  Centers for Disease Control is applying AIT products to monitor nation's blood for industrially produced toxins.  In the industrial sector, AIT's products are used to accurately measure many natural compounds that "poison" the crude oil refining process, thus resulting in process optimization, increased profits and more environmentally friendly actions. In homeland security, the AIT technology is being developed to accurately detect Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosive (so called "CBRNE") agents.

Over the past ten years, Mass Spectrometry ("MS") has become the dominant analytical instrument for detection of analytes that must be measured at very small quantities. The ability to identify and accurately measure complex chemical structures by the MS promises to be significant and transformational in several multi-billion dollar industries.

For additional information, contact Matt Pamuku, CEO of Applied Isotope Technologies at:

(V): 408-472-2333 (E): [email protected]

Applied Isotope Technologies is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and is a Pittsburgh Life Sciences Greenhouse (PLSG) portfolio company. The PLSG provides capital investments and customized company formation and business growth services to western Pennsylvania's life sciences enterprises. The PLSG supports biosciences companies with promising innovations in the following concentrations: Biotechnology Tools, Diagnostics, Healthcare IT, Medical Devices and Therapeutics.

SOURCE Pittsburgh Life Sciences Greenhouse