UO biology spinout draws funds to expand its technology

A UO spinout company, NemaMetrix, that has developed new approaches important for drug discovery and environmental toxin tests is moving forward with $1 million in new support raised with help from several agencies.

The Register-Guard highlighted the fundraising effort in a story headlined "Eugene tech startup firm plans to grow with $1 million infusion."

The company was co-founded in 2011 by UO biologists Shawn Lockery and Janis Weeks, both of whom are also members of the UO's Institute of Neuroscience. The third cofounder, Matt Beaudet is NemaMetrix’s chief executive.

NemaMetrix's new technology, which builds upon its existing ScreenChip platform, uses tiny worms to test water samples for environmental toxins. ScreenChip has been used for drug screening, using the worms in a system that monitors potential effects of a drug or chemical on an animal's overall biology.

The science of the company's new direction is detailed in "Tiny Worm 'Canary in Coal' Mine for Toxins," a news release issued by Oregon Built Environment and Sustainable Technologies Center Inc., known more widely as Oregon BEST.