Astek Diagnostics Awarded Competitive Grant from the National Science Foundation
Small Business Innovation Research Program Provides Seed Funding for R&D
Baltimore, MD - September 23, 2024
Astek Diagnostics (Astek) has been awarded a National Science Foundation (NSF) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant for $991,832 to conduct research and development (R&D) work on expanding the capabilities of its revolutionary JIDDU™ Platform for rapid antibiotic susceptibility testing (AST) from urine to include additional biofluids such as cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and wound effluent.
This pivotal work will drive Astek’s R&D team towards deploying the first rapid approach that can deliver AST results in 1 hour for multiple specimen types from a single, cost-effective platform. This expansion addresses the urgent need for timely and accurate diagnosis of infections like complicated urinary tract infections (UTIs), bacterial meningitis, and wound infections that are critical in the context of rising antimicrobial resistance (AMR). In this work, Astek will collaborate with scientific and medical institutions, including MedStar National Rehabilitation Hospital, Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, and Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, to facilitate sample collection and testing to demonstrate rapid and precise AST for multiple specimen types. Success with these goals will demonstrate the JIDDU™ Platform's efficacy across multiple biofluids, leading to improved patient care, reduced antibiotic misuse, and a significant impact on public health.
“"The current UTI diagnostic approach is both slow and imprecise, often leaving physicians to make educated guesses on antibiotic treatment while waiting days for confirmation. Thanks to the generous support of the NSF, Astek's JIDDU™ Platform will eliminate this uncertainty at the point of care, delivering faster, more accurate diagnoses that reduce patient risk, healthcare costs, and combat antibiotic resistance. We're also extending this innovative approach beyond urology to include the analysis of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and wound effluent, broadening our impact in Infectious Disease and Surgery,” said Mustafa Al-Adhami, CEO at Astek Diagnostics.
Once a small business is awarded a Phase I SBIR/STTR grant (up to $275,000), it becomes eligible to apply for a Phase II SBIR/STTR grant (up to $1,000,000). Small businesses with Phase II SBIR/STTR grant funding are eligible to receive up to $500,000 in additional matching funds with qualifying third-party investment or sales.
Entrepreneurs who submit a written Project Pitch will know within about a month if they meet the program’s objectives to support innovative technologies that show promise of commercial and/or societal impact and involve an appropriate level of technical risk. Startups and small businesses with innovative science and technology solutions, and commercial potential are encouraged to apply. All proposals submitted to the NSF SBIR/STTR program, also known as America’s Seed Fund powered by NSF, undergo a rigorous merit-based review process. To learn more about America’s Seed Fund powered by NSF, visit: https://seedfund.nsf.gov/
About Astek Diagnostics:
Astek is a precision diagnostics company developing the JIDDU™ Platform to confirm bacterial infections and assess antibiotic sensitivity across multiple sample types: urine, CSF, would effluent, and blood. Astek has prioritized going to market in 2025 with a urine-based test which identifies urinary tract infections and antibiotic sensitivity in one hour. The company is part of the Y Combinator (S21) and has received support from Harvard University, NSF, FDA, BARDA, NIH and numerous VC funds and angel investors.
About the National Science Foundation's Small Business Programs:
America’s Seed Fund powered by NSF awards $200 million annually to startups and small businesses, transforming scientific discovery into products and services with commercial and societal impact. Startups working across almost all areas of science and technology can receive up to $2 million to support research and development (R&D), helping de-risk technology for commercial success. America’s Seed Fund is congressionally mandated through the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. The NSF is an independent federal agency with a budget of about $8.5 billion that supports fundamental research and education across all fields of science and engineering.
