BOSTON - BostonChron -- Quarksen (https://www.quarksen.com/) Inc., an innovator in sensing technology, is proud to announce that it has been awarded a U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I grant. The grant will advance the development of eQuanta™ - Quarksen's groundbreaking sensing platform, with potential to deliver accessible, accurate, and rapid STI testing.

The NSF SBIR Phase I grant will fund ongoing research and development of eQuanta™, which has potential to offer an at-home STI testing experience. Leveraging cutting-edge graphene technology, eQuanta™ has potential to deliver highly sensitive, specific, and nearly instantaneous detection of STIs.

"Receiving an NSF SBIR Phase I grant demonstrates the potential of our technology," said Shadi Emam, Founder and Chief Technology Officer of Quarksen. "We envision eQuanta™ advancing STI diagnostics by empowering patients with an accessible, accurate, and rapid at-home STI diagnostic solution. This funding will accelerate our development and bring us one step closer to transforming STI diagnostics."

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STIs are a significant American public health issue

In 2018, CDC reported more than 26 million new cases of STIs representing close to $16 billion in total lifetime medical costs.

eQuanta™

Unlike other STI tests that require patients to travel to clinics or ship their samples, eQuanta™ has potential to provide an at-home experience.

Quarksen's vision – advancing diagnostics in sexual health, women's health, and beyond

"STIs are the first frontier in our mission to transform healthcare," said Dr. Zohreh Izadifar, Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Quarksen. "We envision multiple applications of eQuanta's™ unique technology to empower patients and healthcare providers with accessible, accurate, and rapid diagnostic information."

CAUTION - Investigational Device. Limited by Federal (or United States) law to investigational use

About Quarksen

Founded by Drs. Shadi Emam and Zohreh Izadifar, Quarksen is innovating eQuanta™ to tranform diagnostics.

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About the NSF'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 $9 billion that supports fundamental research and education across all fields of science and engineering. For more information, visit seedfund.nsf.gov.