Borealis Ventures is pleased to announce its recent seed investment in Bar Harbor Biotechnology, Inc., an early- stage life sciences company. Bar Harbor Biotech is developing advanced gene expression and DNA quantification products and services based on the work of a team of researchers at The Jackson Laboratory. The Jackson Laboratory is an independent genetic research institution and National Cancer Institute-designated Cancer Center located in Bar Harbor, ME. Bar Harbor Biotech is The Jackson Laboratory’s first commercial spin- out venture and is licensing intellectual property from the Lab.

Bar Harbor Biotech’s technology focuses on real- time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (“qPCR”), a well-established technique for gene expression used in virtually every area of biology, including disease research, molecular diagnostics, drug discovery and toxicology. Collectively, the global market for qPCR-related instrumentation, plates, reagents, software and services is rapidly approaching $1 billion dollars annually, even though qPCR data are difficult to interpret and reproduce.

Bar Harbor Biotech is poised to capitalize on and expand this market by delivering an integrated suite of goods and services that will make multi- gene qPCR analysis more affordable, convenient, accurate, and reliable than ever before using standard qPCR equipment already on the market and in use in academic and industry research labs around the world. Drawing upon qPCR expertise that the founders developed and validated at The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor Biotech will help its customers overcome existing wet-lab and computational challenges associated with qPCR by offering prepared gene expression arrays and advanced computational tools through which the resulting qPCR data can be analyzed to identify statistically significant changes in gene expression patterns. Bar Harbor Biotech’s integrated bioinformatics resources will then streamline further experiment design and facilitate rapid hypothesis testing. Bar Harbor Biotech is also working to extend its qPCR technology into a highly cost-effective platform for clinical molecular diagnostics through DNA quantification.

Bar Harbor Biotech’s founders include the Company’s President, Dr. Peter Konstantin, and a team of Jackson Laboratory researchers led by Senior Scientist Dr. Derry Roopenian. Dr. Konstantin has built his career in the international life sciences instrumentation, reagent and materials industry, serving most recently as President of Eppendorf-5 Prime, Inc. (Boulder, CO) and before that as President of Schleicher & Schuell’s U.S. operations (Keene, NH) and Corporate Vice President for the parent company’s worldwide R&D activities. Dr. Roopenian is a recognized expert in immunology, genetics and genomics and the author of 125 published scientific papers.

As part of this investment, Borealis Ventures managing director Phil Ferneau has joined Bar Harbor Biotech’s Board of Directors. “Borealis is pleased to apply our technology commercialization experience and resources to help Bar Harbor Biotech spin out from The Jackson Laboratory and deliver its offerings to the marketplace. We believe that Bar Harbor Biotech will provide life science researchers with the tools they need to unlock the secrets of systems biology and develop the next-generation of medical breakthroughs, including more precise cancer diagnostics and personalized therapies,” said Ferneau.

Dr. Roopenian noted, “My colleagues and I have appreciated the steadfast support and guidance we’ve received from Borealis Ventures over the past year. Phil’s understanding of the inherent challenges in translating academic laboratory innovations into successful commercial ventures has been particularly valuable in getting Bar Harbor Biotech off the ground. We look forward to working closely with the Borealis team as we move ahead in bringing our offerings to market.”

Stay tuned for more information about Bar Harbor Biotech when the Company publicly launches later this year.

Borealis Managing Director Matt Rightmire recently spoke with serial entrepreneur and angel investor Chip Griffin about making the move from Silicon Valley to the Upper Valley. The interview can be read or downloaded from Pardon the Disruption, Chip's blog which is focused on high-tech entrepreneurship from the perspective of an angel investor.