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| DNA Electronics Wins R&D Prize DNA Electronics has been named as the winner of the prestigious R&D prize at the Elektra09 European Electronics Industry Awards. DNA Electronics, a spin-out of Imperial College London, triumphed from a shortlist of five other finalists to be named winner by an independent panel of judges in recognition of its technology and intellectual property strategy. The Elektra09 award ceremony was held on Tuesday 1st December 2009 at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London. DNA Electronics' SNP Dr (pronounced 'snip doctor') is a silicon chip-based handheld device that offers fast and accurate spot test results for specific DNA sequences that indicate how patients are likely to respond to prescription drugs. The device is now being trialed in partnership with global pharmaceutical company Pfizer. Each year, the NHS spends £460 million to treat 250,000 patients admitted to hospital suffering adverse reactions to prescribed medication. A test to identify people likely to react badly to prescribed medication will enable doctors to tailor dosages to the individual needs of patients, bringing greatly improved treatment and massive potential cost savings to healthcare providers. DNA Electronics was co-founded by the inventor of the foundation technology, Professor Chris Toumazou FRS, who is CEO of the company and director and chief scientist at the Institute of Biomedical Engineering at Imperial College London. The core technology is based upon switching transistors on and off with DNA, which has culminated in the world's first DNA logic on standard CMOS technology. The annual Elektra Awards recognise the achievements of individuals and companies across the European electronics industry. The judging panel said of DNA Electronics' submission: "This was the strongest set of finalists the Elektras has ever seen for the R&D Award. The winner impressed for quality of its basic research in an emerging area of electronics design." write your comments about the article :: © 2009 Computing News :: home page |