DELRAY BEACH, Fla., May 30, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PositiveID Corporation (OTC:PSIDD), a Life Sciences company focused on detection and diagnostics, announced today its wholly owned subsidiary, ExcitePCR Corporation, has named Dr. Kimothy Smith its Chief Science Officer.
Dr. Smith, a recognized biodefense expert, will join Lyle Probst, the CEO of ExcitePCR, to manage the development of Firefly Dx to completion and commercialization, and execute the company’s mission under the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”) SenseNet program to provide faster, less expensive bio-threat detection systems while providing an added level of security.
Dr. Smith served as Senior Advisor for International Biodefense at DHS’ Office of Health Affairs and as Acting Director of the National Biosurveillance Integration Center, where he set the vision and strategy of a U.S. government-wide effort to acquire, aggregate, integrate, analyze, interpret and disseminate all-source biosurveillance information from governmental and private sectors for epidemiological analyses and health protection. He also worked at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, where he served as the Deputy Division Leader for Operations in the Counter-terrorism and Incident Response Division of the Non-proliferation, Arms Control and International Security Directorate. He earned his Ph.D. in molecular epidemiology from Louisiana State University where he curated the worldwide Bacillus anthracis collection.
“Kimothy, who has served as an advisor to PositiveID, is an important asset and we are very fortunate to add him to the senior management team of ExcitePCR,” stated Mr. Probst. “His broad expertise and strong relationships will be invaluable to our goal of bringing a completed Firefly Dx product to both the public and private sectors.”
Firefly Dx is designed to be a handheld, fully automated, lab quality, real-time device able to process samples and detect pathogens at the point of need or point of care, faster and less expensively than existing devices, without the need to return the sample to a lab for a confirmatory result. Firefly Dx's applications include lab-quality, sample processing and detection of pathogenic organisms; agricultural and food screening in both domestic sectors and developing countries; and detection of biological agents associated with weapons of mass destruction.
In August 2016, PositiveID announced that it, in conjunction with a partner, was awarded a Phase II contract under the SenseNet Program from the U.S. Department of the Interior on behalf of the DHS Science & Technology Directorate. The goal of the SenseNet Program is to implement faster, less expensive bio-threat detection systems to increase the effectiveness of current systems and provide an added level of security. Under this Phase II award, the company will provide its Firefly Dx system.
About PositiveID Corporation
PositiveID Corporation is a life sciences tools and diagnostics company with an extensive patent portfolio. PositiveID develops biological detection and diagnostics systems, specializing in the development of microfluidic systems for the automated preparation of and performance of biological assays. PositiveID is also a leader in the mobile technology vehicle market, with a focus on the laboratory market and homeland security. For more information on PositiveID, please visit http://www.psidcorp.com, or connect with PositiveID on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn.
