Salimetrics: Developing Saliva Testing Kits for Researchers and Clinicians
The interaction between biology, stress, behavior and health is one of the hottest research topics out there these days. So it’s no surprise that Salimetrics-a Penn State spinout company that manufactures enzyme immunoassay kits for testing the biological markers in saliva-just underwent another growth spurt, one of many in their eight-year history.
Salimetrics, a BFTP alumni company, provides products and services that use saliva samples to noninvasively measure biological processes for biomedical and behavioral research, and more recently immunodiagnostic purposes.
“We measure molecules such as cortisol and alpha-amylase, which are used to index stress, and hormones such as testosterone, which is of particular interest to people these days,” says company president and founder Douglas Granger, professor of bio-behavioral health and Human Development at Penn State.
Most of Salimetrics’ customers are studying how biology and behavior work together to affect human development and health. “These research projects cover the whole lifespan, from infants to pregnant mothers to the frail elderly,” Granger says. “Researchers are also using salivary testing to study stress and health in wild animals, pets, working dogs and animals in captivity.”
A Pattern of Consistent Manageable Growth
The company got off the ground in 1998 with Granger, Eve Schwartz, Richard Supina and two employees; today, after the latest round of hiring, there are 26 on the team.
“We started in a little lab in the Penn State incubator facility that was about 300 square feet,” says Granger. “Now we operate in an 8,500-square-foot lab and are considering an expansion that will take us to 12,000 in 2007. We are currently experiencing a growth rate of 50 to 55 percent, and the outlook for 2007 and 2008 is even more promising.”
Salimetrics has many new projects on the horizon, including a saliva test that can discriminate smokers from nonsmokers, as well as tell the difference between primary and secondary tobacco smoke exposure. Another measures adrenal function and helps in the diagnosis of Cushing’s disease.
Far Beyond the Funding
Granger says the company’s success in the early years was due in large part to the initial investment by Ben Franklin Technology Partners. Salimetrics first became involved with BFTP because of Ben Franklin’s close proximity to the Penn State biotech incubator program (they shared the same building).
“Ben Franklin gave us a seed grant that helped us in the early stages of developing some of our technology,” Granger says.
In addition to the financial support, BFTP also provided Salimetrics with other valuable resources in the early stages. “During our first three or four years, the BFTP staff would guide us through the growing pains,” Granger says. “They are a shining star for young companies, and an irreplaceable resource in Pennsylvania.”
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