Halomine
Halomine received $2M in funding and Inso Biosciences received $955,000. Source: Halomine

Two Cornell-based IndieBio startups Halomine (NY 01) and Inso Biosciences (NY 03) won support from the New York State Biodefense Commercialization Fund to develop solutions that will prevent future disease outbreaks like COVID-19, the Cornell Daily Sun reported in the article “NYS Funds Cornell Startups To Combat New Disease Outbreaks”.

Halomine’s primary technology, HaloFilm, extends the life of chlorine on a surface to offer continuous protection against viruses and bacteria for days and weeks. Halomine, which received $2 million from the fund, intends to use the capital to create another antimicrobial plastics additive coating called HaloAdd to protect plastic surfaces such as medical supplies and food processing tools from pathogens. 

Inso Biosciences streamlines genomics preparation into one automated, in-solution step. The company’s rapid and precise solution can be applied to Illumina, PacBio, and Oxford Nanopore-based sequencing technologies to expand access to all genomics-enabling technologies. Inso Bioscience received $955,000 from the fund to optimize the design and operation of its chip cartridge and fluid control platform. Inso Bioscience’s technology can provide faster identification and response for sexual assault cases by accurately sorting sperm and epithelial cells by size from sample swabs. Inso Bioscience’s technology can also rapidly filter human samples with infectious microbes and remove human cells from microbes to address infectious diseases. 

“If we can limit the time to respond to a new infectious disease and give a better picture of this infection, we can really help address the ability to contain and control it,” said Inso Biosciences CEO Dr. Harvey Tian.