Date: Dec 01, 2017 Source:
Verrix got its start at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) when Caltech PhD Adrian Ponce discovered a novel method that enables the fast viability assessment of single spores while he was performing research for the Mars Rover mission. While the focus of the research was on spore detection to meet NASA's planetary protection requirements for spacecraft destined for other planets, Ponce recognized that there are applications for this rapid detection methodology earth-side as well.
Between 2001 and 2014, Ponce was principal investigator for numerous projects funded by a diverse set of programs and agencies including Caltech, NASA, the Department of Homeland Security and the EPA. In 2013, Ponce established Verrix, LLC as a standalone company and set up a lab in his home garage to advance the development of products leveraging the unique endospore viability assay technology. The following year Ponce and his team moved into the Pasadena Bioscience Collaborative Incubator where they had access to top of the line equipment and exposure to a rich environment of innovation alongside likeminded bioscience inventors and entrepreneurs.
Now, as Verrix approaches the final design and development phases of its initial product offering, it is establishing a headquarter office in south Orange County that provides the organization the space, resources and access to talent it requires to grow as an independent medical device company. The headquarter building is located in San Clemente's Talega Business Park. The 10,000 square foot facility boasts space for microbiology and optics labs, manufacturing and offices for the growing Verrix team.
"Orange County is one of the country's top locations for medtech innovation," notes Cameron Rouns, Verrix Chief Executive Officer. "It is the perfect home for Verrix as we focus on developing the most advanced solutions for detecting and monitoring harmful microorganisms in the healthcare environment."
About Verrix
Verrix is a San Clemente, Calif.-based medical device company that is using the most advanced technologies to help protect patients from healthcare-associated infections. The company was formed as a spin-off from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), and is partnered with JPL doctors and scientists to commercialize a library of issued patents licensed from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). Its core sterility assurance technology integrates cutting-edge optical physics, chemistry, spectroscopy, and molecular biology, and is uniquely positioned to address critical unmet needs for protecting patients from life-threatening infections. Visit www.verrix.com for more information.
