New Joint Venture NEMIS Technologies, Formed by Biosynth and Ramot at Tel Aviv University Develops Rapid Diagnostic Tests for Pathogenic Bacteria in Food Safety and Clinical Applications

STAAD, Switzerland and TEL AVIV, Israel, May 25, 2018

Pathogenic bacteria are considered to be one of the biggest threats to global health in the future of mankind. Continuous population growth, increasing mobility, the growing number of foodborne illnesses and emerging resistance of bacteria against current antibiotic treatments are multiple challenges which urgently require breakthrough ideas and innovations in faster, highly specific, efficacious, easy-to-handle and cost-efficient diagnostic tests.

Biosynth, a Swiss-based developer of reagents and biologically active chemicals, and RAMOT, the Tel Aviv UniversityBusiness Engagement Center, have announced the incorporation of a Joint Venture, NEMIS Technologies, complemented by industry professionals. The jointly developed technology platform AquaSparkTM forms the basis of NEMIS Technologies’ development of diagnostic kits and solutions for rapid pathogenic bacteria detection in food safety, hospital and clinical applications and water treatment.

AquaSpark™ enables highly sensitive chemiluminescence probes for research and diagnostic applications. Pathogenic, potentially life threating bacteria are made visible with light signals at much faster speed than with current standard methods, thus reducing effectively important safety risks at highly competitive cost.

Urs Spitz, CEO of Biosynth, commented: “Today is a great day for the fight against dangerous bacteria. I am very confident that AquaSpark™ and our easy-to-handle diagnostic kits and solutions will have the potential to replace today’s market standard, fluorescence-based tests, as much as these once replaced color tests.” Shlomo Nimrodi, RAMOT’s CEO, added “We are excited that our science will be brought to affordable, highly effective technical applications to avoid huge safety challenges throughout the world, potentially saving innumerous lives.” The new company NEMIS Technologies will be led by the CEO Arnaud Muller, a seasoned health care executive. Both Urs Spitzand Shlomo Nimrodi have been appointed to the Board of Directors with Roger Meier, an experienced start-up and growth company builder, acting as the Chairman of the Board. The Board of Directors is complemented by Joerg Brun, a senior food professional who was, amongst other positions in the food industry, responsible for the whole food business at Switzerland’s largest Retailer, Migros.

About Biosynth

Biosynth is an innovative developer of reagents and biological active complex organic chemicals. In recent years Biosynth has successfully introduced innovative chromogenic, fluorogenic and luminescence-based systems into the field. The Swiss-based organization has branches in the USA, China and the EU as well as a worldwide distribution network that reaches the entire diagnostics industry. www.biosynth.com

About Ramot 

Ramot is the Business Engagement Center at Tel Aviv University, Israel’s largest research and teaching university. Founded in 1956, Tel Aviv University is located in Israel’s cultural, financial and industrial center. Rooted in both academic and corporate arenas, Ramot is uniquely positioned to cultivate the special relationships between these two compelling worlds, creating win-win connections that support fertile, ground breaking research while providing companies with discoveries that give them a crucial competitive edge. For more information, visit www.ramot.org.

About Tel Aviv University

Tel Aviv University (TAU) – Israel’s largest and most comprehensive institution of higher learning – is home to over 30,000 students studying in nine faculties and over 125 schools and departments across the spectrum of sciences, humanities and the arts. Situated in Israel’s cultural, financial and technological capital, TAU shares Tel Aviv’s unshakable spirit of openness and innovation – and boasts a campus life as dynamic and pluralistic as the metropolis itself. Tel Aviv the city and Tel Aviv the university are one and the same – a thriving Mediterranean center of diversity and discovery. Consistently ranked in the top 20 in the world in terms of scientific citations and among the top 100 universities internationally, Tel Aviv University is also Israel’s first choice for students, and its graduates are the most sought after by Israeli companies. https://english.tau.ac.il/

About Nemis Technologies AG

Nemis is engaged in the development of simple, specific, cost-effective and rapid pathogens detection kits solutions based on the AquaSparkTM technology. It will address life-threatening markets such as food safety where microbiological contamination and the associated recalls are a major issue. It will also target the detection of antibiotics-resistant bacteria; one of the biggest threats to global public health and modern medicine. www.nemistech.com

Media Contact

Nemis Technologies AG

Arnaud Muller
CEO, +41-79-373-8800
arnaud.muller@nemistech.com

Biosynth AG

Mario Mehmel, Ph.D.
Marketing Manager
+41-71-858-2658
mario.mehmel@biosynth.ch

Ramot at Tel Aviv University

Maya Kotler
Head of Marketing
+972-52-605-7144
maya.kotler@ramot.org