Back to News & Events

Vitatex Awarded NCI Contract

Vitatex, a Stony Brook-based biotechnology company located in the Long Island High Technology Incubator, has announced that it was awarded an SBIR Phase I/II Fast Track contract in September 2015 from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) for its Vita-Cap™ CTC Capture and Preservation tubes. A modification to exercise the option for a two-year SBIR Phase II of the contract was executed on June 8, 2016.

Vitatex Inc. provides proprietary invasive circulating tumor cell (iCTC) enrichment technology and products to develop revolutionary cancer genetic and cell tests. These “liquid biopsies” focus on next generation sequencing (NGS) detection, gene expression profiling and flow cytometry and have recently been adopted by the clinical laboratory community to characterize cancer cells and/or their RNA/DNA in blood samples non-invasively and serially, and to acquire genetic alternations and drug resistance information, which have the potential to replace tests run on surgical biopsies.

Clinical metastasis of solid tumors is linked to blood-borne dissemination of viable tumor cells in the circulation and clinical instrumentation is now available to isolate, enumerate, culture, generate metastatic mouse models and perform molecular analyses on these circulating tumor cells (CTCs). However, CTCs are fragile and tend to degrade within a few days when collected in standard blood collection tubes.

“The functional CTC preparation tube is designed to collect, enrich and preserve the viability/functionality of cancer cells in blood all within a closed system” said Wen-Tien Chen, PhD., Chief Scientific Officer of Vitatex. “The goal is to define conditions of Vitatex CTC preparation tubes for capturing and preserving cancer cells in the blood of patients with breast, ovarian and other types for up to 96 hours of transit.”

Specific terms of the contract were not disclosed.

Related Stories

WP_Query Object
(
    [query] => Array
        (
            [post_type] => post
            [posts_per_page] => 3
            [post_status] => publish
            [orderby] => rand
        )

    [query_vars] => Array
        (
            [post_type] => post
            [posts_per_page] => 3
            [post_status] => publish
            [orderby] => rand
            [error] => 
            [m] => 
            [p] => 0
            [post_parent] => 
            [subpost] => 
            [subpost_id] => 
            [attachment] => 
            [attachment_id] => 0
            [name] => 
            [pagename] => 
            [page_id] => 0
            [second] => 
            [minute] => 
            [hour] => 
            [day] => 0
            [monthnum] => 0
            [year] => 0
            [w] => 0
            [category_name] => 
            [tag] => 
            [cat] => 
            [tag_id] => 
            [author] => 
            [author_name] => 
            [feed] => 
            [tb] => 
            [paged] => 0
            [meta_key] => 
            [meta_value] => 
            [preview] => 
            [s] => 
            [sentence] => 
            [title] => 
            [fields] => all
            [menu_order] => 
            [embed] => 
            [category__in] => Array
                (
                )

            [category__not_in] => Array
                (
                )

            [category__and] => Array
                (
                )

            [post__in] => Array
                (
                )

            [post__not_in] => Array
                (
                )

            [post_name__in] => Array
                (
                )

            [tag__in] => Array
                (
                )

            [tag__not_in] => Array
                (
                )

            [tag__and] => Array
                (
                )

            [tag_slug__in] => Array
                (
                )

            [tag_slug__and] => Array
                (
                )

            [post_parent__in] => Array
                (
                )

            [post_parent__not_in] => Array
                (
                )

            [author__in] => Array
                (
                )

            [author__not_in] => Array
                (
                )

            [search_columns] => Array
                (
                )

            [ignore_sticky_posts] => 
            [suppress_filters] => 
            [cache_results] => 1
            [update_post_term_cache] => 1
            [update_menu_item_cache] => 
            [lazy_load_term_meta] => 1
            [update_post_meta_cache] => 1
            [nopaging] => 
            [comments_per_page] => 50
            [no_found_rows] => 
            [order] => 
        )

    [tax_query] => WP_Tax_Query Object
        (
            [queries] => Array
                (
                )

            [relation] => AND
            [table_aliases:protected] => Array
                (
                )

            [queried_terms] => Array
                (
                )

            [primary_table] => wp_posts
            [primary_id_column] => ID
        )

    [meta_query] => WP_Meta_Query Object
        (
            [queries] => Array
                (
                )

            [relation] => 
            [meta_table] => 
            [meta_id_column] => 
            [primary_table] => 
            [primary_id_column] => 
            [table_aliases:protected] => Array
                (
                )

            [clauses:protected] => Array
                (
                )

            [has_or_relation:protected] => 
        )

    [date_query] => 
    [request] => SELECT SQL_CALC_FOUND_ROWS  wp_posts.ID
					 FROM wp_posts 
					 WHERE 1=1  AND wp_posts.post_type = 'post' AND ((wp_posts.post_status = 'publish'))
					 
					 ORDER BY RAND()
					 LIMIT 0, 3
    [posts] => Array
        (
            [0] => WP_Post Object
                (
                    [ID] => 4906
                    [post_author] => 4
                    [post_date] => 2025-07-17 10:27:09
                    [post_date_gmt] => 2025-07-17 14:27:09
                    [post_content] => 

The Redesignation brings $10 million in funding to drive innovation, company formation, and economic growth.

The Center for Biotechnology (CFB) has announced its re-designated as a Center for Advanced Technology (CAT) by Empire State Development's Division of Science, Technology and Innovation (NYSTAR), a recognition that comes with $1 million in annual funding over the next ten years. The $10 million commitment underscores the CFB’s leadership in accelerating life science innovation, supporting early-stage technology development, and fueling economic growth through start-up formation and industry partnerships.

“The Center for Biotechnology has served as a critical bridge between academic research and commercial success,” said Dr. Clinton Rubin, Director of the Center for Biotechnology. “This re-designation ensures we can continue to expand our impact, helping innovators bring breakthrough technology to market and strengthening New York’s position as a leader in the bioscience industry.”

Empire State Development President, CEO and Commissioner Hope Knight said, “NYSTAR’s Centers for Advanced Technology are vital to our strategic efforts to grow New York’s economy and the state’s greater innovation ecosystem. By investing in the industries of tomorrow, New Yorkers benefit today through dynamic partnerships that help to create new jobs, generate more revenues, and encourage more companies to establish a footprint in communities all throughout the state.”

The Center for Biotechnology is located on the campus of Stony Brook University (SBU), the flagship research institution within the prestigious State University of New York (SUNY) system. Stony Brook University is recognized as a national and global leader in life sciences research, biomedical innovation, and clinical care. Situated on Long Island, New York, Stony Brook has built a formidable reputation as a hub for cutting-edge scientific discovery and translational medicine. The Center for Biotechnology builds upon these strengths by providing cutting-edge programming and competitive financial support to advance biomedical innovation and emerging company growth.

“We are excited to build upon the successful foundation of strong entrepreneurial networks, infrastructure, and programming that we have built over the last four decades” said Dr. Diane Fabel, Chief Operating Officer at the Center for Biotechnology. “The impacts we have had during our last designation period include over $1B in total economic impact with more than 1000 jobs created, and driving more than $315M in follow-on funding. We are excited to see those numbers continue to grow when we celebrate fifty years of hard work at the end of this redesignation period”.

As part of the New York State CAT program, the CFB will continue to work with emerging and established companies across the state to de-risk early-stage technologies, advance both technology and company value, foster public-private collaboration, and provide critical infrastructure for the region’s growing life science ecosystem. Additionally, the CFB team will continue its efforts to develop a life sciences workforce to support the region's bio-innovation economy with a specific emphasis on sectors deemed important to the NYS economy.

Dowload the full press release here.

[post_title] => Center for Biotechnology Announces Redesignation as New York State Center for Advanced Technology [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => open [ping_status] => open [post_password] => [post_name] => redesignation2025 [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2025-07-21 14:51:44 [post_modified_gmt] => 2025-07-21 18:51:44 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://centerforbiotechnology.org/?p=4906 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [1] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 4488 [post_author] => 4 [post_date] => 2024-10-24 10:45:00 [post_date_gmt] => 2024-10-24 14:45:00 [post_content] =>

Governor Kathy Hochul has unveiled plans for New York BioGenesis Park, a groundbreaking $430 million Cell and Gene Therapy (CGT) Innovation Hub in Nassau County, Long Island. To be developed by The Albanese Organization, Inc., this state-of-the-art facility would catalyze CGT research, development, clinical manufacturing, and commercialization across New York State. With a historic $150 million state investment—the largest nationwide for a cell and gene therapy hub—NYBGP would accelerate the delivery of new therapies from lab to patient in New York's diverse communities. This transformative hub aims to establish New York as the leading global destination for CGT innovation, driving economic growth, attracting top talent, and revolutionizing patient care statewide and beyond.

The Center for Biotechnology is thrilled to be counted as a partner in this effort, and is looking forward to working with our colleagues in the initiative to help catalyze and accelerate life-changing therapies.

New York BioGenesis Park is envisioned as a cutting-edge, full-service campus dedicated to advancing cell and gene therapies and accelerating their commercialization. At full build-out, the 700,000-square-foot park would create an end-to-end Cell and Gene Therapy innovation and supply center, featuring interconnected areas for public engagement, research, manufacturing, and collaboration.

A cornerstone of New York BioGenesis Park is its incubator, supported by a $50 million investment from ESD's Long Island Investment Fund. This facility will empower early-stage therapeutic developers by offering state-of-the-art wet lab space, shared equipment, office space, and other essential resources. This nurturing environment will provide Cell and Gene Therapy companies with access to specialized equipment, mentoring, and stage-appropriate financial guidance. As a critical component of New York BioGenesis Park, the incubator is poised to catalyze the growth of promising Cell and Gene Therapy companies by providing them with resources and support, unlocking their potential for innovation and success.

New York BioGenesis Park would foster strong ties with academic and medical institutions throughout New York, creating a robust ecosystem for Cell and Gene Therapy innovation. Collaborating with the Empire State Cellular Therapy Consortium and world-class institutions like Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, the Feinstein Institutes, Northwell Health, Roswell Park, Stony Brook University, Weill Cornell, Columbia University and others around the state, New York BioGenesis Park would enhance research synergies and accelerate medical breakthroughs. This ecosystem would bring together experts in advanced Cell and Gene Therapy therapies, offering specialized facilities, services, and resources to both tenants and collaborating institutions. By facilitating cutting-edge science, innovative technology development and novel approaches to clinical trials, New York BioGenesis Park would ensure New York's institutions remain globally competitive in groundbreaking Cell and Gene Therapy research and commercialization.

Read the press release of Governor Hochul's announcement here:
https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-hochul-launches-next-phase-long-islands-nation-leading-cell-and-gene-therapy

[post_title] => Long Island to be location for Nation-Leading Cell and Gene Therapy Innovation Hub: New York BioGenesis Park. [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => open [ping_status] => open [post_password] => [post_name] => long-island-to-be-location-for-nation-leading-cell-and-gene-therapy-innovation-hub-new-york-biogenesis-park [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2025-02-26 16:35:20 [post_modified_gmt] => 2025-02-26 21:35:20 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://centerforbiotechnology.org/?p=4488 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [2] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 3652 [post_author] => 3 [post_date] => 2021-02-03 16:41:22 [post_date_gmt] => 2021-02-03 16:41:22 [post_content] =>

BARDA is interested in learning more about the current landscape and technologies and companies in the needle-less delivery space. The delivery platforms should be compatible with biologic payloads (e. g. vaccines, monoclonal antibodies) that utilize the following alternative routes of administration:
- Oral
- Buccal/Sublingual
- Inhalation (e. g. aerosolization)
Other platforms

Technologies NOT of interest:
- Needle-based (e.g. auto injectors)
- Microneedle systems (e. g. patches)
- Implant-based

Particular interest in plug-and-play platforms that have potential to easily allow for the use of a wide variety of vaccines or therapeutics with the platform.

If you are interested in sharing information, please contact Phuong Nguyen at phuong.t.nguyen@stonybrook.edu

[post_title] => BARDA RFI: Needle-less Delivery [post_excerpt] => BARDA is interested in learning more about the current landscape and technologies and companies in the needle-less delivery space. [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => open [ping_status] => open [post_password] => [post_name] => barda-rfi-needle-less-delivery [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2024-12-03 15:01:25 [post_modified_gmt] => 2024-12-03 20:01:25 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://centerforbiotechnology.org/?p=3652 [menu_order] => 54 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [3] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 3006 [post_author] => 3 [post_date] => 2018-08-03 20:11:09 [post_date_gmt] => 2018-08-03 20:11:09 [post_content] => Stony Brook University Happenings recently profiled the Center for Biotechnology's designation as on of eight national accelerators under the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) Division of Research, Innovation and Ventures (DRIVe).  Excerpt below, read the full article here. Sepsis occurs when chemicals released into the bloodstream to fight an infection trigger inflammatory responses throughout the body. It’s dangerous and often deadly. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, more than 250,000 people die from sepsis each year, and it is a leading cause of hospitalization in the U.S. What if a simple test could identify the onset of sepsis as soon as it occurs? Better yet, what if wearable technology was available to alert doctors about sepsis in a patient before they ever show symptoms? This may be possible in the future thanks to Stony Brook University’s participation in the federal government’s new BARDA-DRIVe initiative. [caption id="attachment_3007" align="alignleft" width="300"] Stony Brook, NY; Stony Brook University: Center for Biotechnology's (CFB) Director of Operations Diane Fabel talks with Alyssa Tuthill, Instructional Support Associate/Biomedical Engineering Labs Manager while Graduate Research Assistant Vaughn Greene works with samples.[/caption] The initiative, launched by the Division of Research, Innovation and Ventures (DRIVe), will be overseen by the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA). BARDA has selected Stony Brook’s Center for Biotechnology as one of eight national accelerators across the country to assist in scouting faculty innovators and businesses that are developing health security technology that meets the program’s goals. The initiative plans to focus first on sepsis and the early detection and diagnosis of infections that threaten national health. More goals will be identified over time.  “National health security is essential for optimum public health, enabling our society to thrive,” said Stony Brook University President Samuel L. Stanley Jr. President Stanley is a biomedical researcher who specializes in emerging infectious diseases. He also chairs the Innovation Committee for the Long Island Regional Economic Development Council. “With a proven record of research, discovery, innovation and product-development in the biomedical sciences, Stony Brook’s Center for Biotechnology is poised to become an important contributor to the BARDA-DRIVe initiative,” he said. “I am certain that the Center will advance and accelerate research discovery, and strategically collaborate with biotech companies to find solutions to better manage sepsis and emerging national health issues.” [post_title] => Center for Biotechnology Tapped for New Healthcare Security Innovation Program [post_excerpt] => “With a proven record of research, discovery, innovation and product-development in the biomedical sciences, Stony Brook’s Center for Biotechnology is poised to become an important contributor to the BARDA-DRIVe initiative” [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => open [ping_status] => open [post_password] => [post_name] => center-for-biotechnology-tapped-for-new-healthcare-security-innovation-program [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2018-08-20 14:50:32 [post_modified_gmt] => 2018-08-20 14:50:32 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => http://centerforbiotechnology.org/?p=3006 [menu_order] => 118 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [4] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 4069 [post_author] => 4 [post_date] => 2023-04-04 14:21:12 [post_date_gmt] => 2023-04-04 14:21:12 [post_content] =>

The Office of the President, Office of the Provost, Office of the Senior Vice President for Health Sciences, and Office of the Vice President for Research invite applications for a seed grant program to fund collaborative efforts between biomedical scientists at SBU seeking to apply to externally funded research and training initiatives.

This seed grant program will award proposals in the following areas of interest:
- Brain, Behavior, Neurodegenerative and Neuropsychiatric Disorders
Cancer
- Development, Aging, and Life Span
- Drug Development, from Chemistry to Diagnostics and Therapies
- Environmental Health, Climate Change and Human Health
- Immunology and Infectious Diseases
- Metabolism, Obesity, Diabetes, and Cardiovascular Disorders
- Technology, Computation, Biology, Medicine, and Regenerative Medicine

The program will fund up to five multidisciplinary teams that commit to submitting proposals for medium/large scale grants (i.e., >$3M for research grants and >$2M for training grants) in the following categories: multi-PI grants, center grants, instrumentation grants, and training grants. Awarded projects will receive up to $100,000 for a maximum award period of two years.

Eligibility Requirements
All PIs must be current, full-time, tenured or tenure track faculty at Stony Brook University
Applicants can only be PI on one application and Co-PI on one application. There is a limit of four Co-PIs on any application.

Applications due May 8, 2023 at 11:59 PM EST via the application submission portal.

Full details here: https://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/proposal-development/funding/OVPR_Seed_Grant_Program/Biomedical_Sciences_Innovation_Fund.php

[post_title] => SBU Faculty: Biomedical Sciences Innovation Fund [post_excerpt] => Stony Brook University Faculty are invited to apply for seed grant program to fund collaborative efforts between biomedical scientists at SBU seeking to apply to externally funded research and training initiatives. [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => open [ping_status] => open [post_password] => [post_name] => sbu-faculty-biomedical-sciences-innovation-fund [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2023-07-10 12:39:43 [post_modified_gmt] => 2023-07-10 16:39:43 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://centerforbiotechnology.org/?p=4069 [menu_order] => 4 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) ) [post_count] => 5 [current_post] => -1 [before_loop] => 1 [in_the_loop] => [post] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 4906 [post_author] => 4 [post_date] => 2025-07-17 10:27:09 [post_date_gmt] => 2025-07-17 14:27:09 [post_content] =>

The Redesignation brings $10 million in funding to drive innovation, company formation, and economic growth.

The Center for Biotechnology (CFB) has announced its re-designated as a Center for Advanced Technology (CAT) by Empire State Development's Division of Science, Technology and Innovation (NYSTAR), a recognition that comes with $1 million in annual funding over the next ten years. The $10 million commitment underscores the CFB’s leadership in accelerating life science innovation, supporting early-stage technology development, and fueling economic growth through start-up formation and industry partnerships.

“The Center for Biotechnology has served as a critical bridge between academic research and commercial success,” said Dr. Clinton Rubin, Director of the Center for Biotechnology. “This re-designation ensures we can continue to expand our impact, helping innovators bring breakthrough technology to market and strengthening New York’s position as a leader in the bioscience industry.”

Empire State Development President, CEO and Commissioner Hope Knight said, “NYSTAR’s Centers for Advanced Technology are vital to our strategic efforts to grow New York’s economy and the state’s greater innovation ecosystem. By investing in the industries of tomorrow, New Yorkers benefit today through dynamic partnerships that help to create new jobs, generate more revenues, and encourage more companies to establish a footprint in communities all throughout the state.”

The Center for Biotechnology is located on the campus of Stony Brook University (SBU), the flagship research institution within the prestigious State University of New York (SUNY) system. Stony Brook University is recognized as a national and global leader in life sciences research, biomedical innovation, and clinical care. Situated on Long Island, New York, Stony Brook has built a formidable reputation as a hub for cutting-edge scientific discovery and translational medicine. The Center for Biotechnology builds upon these strengths by providing cutting-edge programming and competitive financial support to advance biomedical innovation and emerging company growth.

“We are excited to build upon the successful foundation of strong entrepreneurial networks, infrastructure, and programming that we have built over the last four decades” said Dr. Diane Fabel, Chief Operating Officer at the Center for Biotechnology. “The impacts we have had during our last designation period include over $1B in total economic impact with more than 1000 jobs created, and driving more than $315M in follow-on funding. We are excited to see those numbers continue to grow when we celebrate fifty years of hard work at the end of this redesignation period”.

As part of the New York State CAT program, the CFB will continue to work with emerging and established companies across the state to de-risk early-stage technologies, advance both technology and company value, foster public-private collaboration, and provide critical infrastructure for the region’s growing life science ecosystem. Additionally, the CFB team will continue its efforts to develop a life sciences workforce to support the region's bio-innovation economy with a specific emphasis on sectors deemed important to the NYS economy.

Dowload the full press release here.

[post_title] => Center for Biotechnology Announces Redesignation as New York State Center for Advanced Technology [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => open [ping_status] => open [post_password] => [post_name] => redesignation2025 [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2025-07-21 14:51:44 [post_modified_gmt] => 2025-07-21 18:51:44 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://centerforbiotechnology.org/?p=4906 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [comment_count] => 0 [current_comment] => -1 [found_posts] => 281 [max_num_pages] => 94 [max_num_comment_pages] => 0 [is_single] => [is_preview] => [is_page] => [is_archive] => [is_date] => [is_year] => [is_month] => [is_day] => [is_time] => [is_author] => [is_category] => [is_tag] => [is_tax] => [is_search] => [is_feed] => [is_comment_feed] => [is_trackback] => [is_home] => 1 [is_privacy_policy] => [is_404] => [is_embed] => [is_paged] => [is_admin] => [is_attachment] => [is_singular] => [is_robots] => [is_favicon] => [is_posts_page] => [is_post_type_archive] => [query_vars_hash:WP_Query:private] => 325c4f9f1aebaa5ec90666fa54175ba0 [query_vars_changed:WP_Query:private] => [thumbnails_cached] => [allow_query_attachment_by_filename:protected] => [stopwords:WP_Query:private] => [compat_fields:WP_Query:private] => Array ( [0] => query_vars_hash [1] => query_vars_changed ) [compat_methods:WP_Query:private] => Array ( [0] => init_query_flags [1] => parse_tax_query ) [query_cache_key:WP_Query:private] => )

Center for Biotechnology Announces Redesignation as New York State Center for Advanced Technology

More Information

Long Island to be location for Nation-Leading Cell and Gene Therapy Innovation Hub: New York BioGenesis Park.

More Information

BARDA RFI: Needle-less Delivery

More Information

Center for Biotechnology Tapped for New Healthcare Security Innovation Program

More Information

SBU Faculty: Biomedical Sciences Innovation Fund

More Information