Photo by Skip Lawrence Michael Farmer, chairman of the board of Akonni Biosystems, speaks during the company’s grand opening ceremonies at their location on Sagner Avenue Friday.

That was a recurrent theme for speakers Friday at the opening of Akonni Biosystems' headquarters and laboratories on Sagner Avenue. A crowd of hundreds attended the event.

Charles Daitch, CEO, said Akonni's TruDiagnosis is a tool that provides "micro test tubes" on a credit card-size platform.

"We have evolved from technologies such as petri dishes that are 30 to 100 years old, to this," Daitch said.

The product uses biosensor micro gel drops on a disposable plastic card. While costing only a few dollars to make, when used with $5,000 reader, the card allows a medical professional to know within an hour and a half if a patient has a disease, what type, and if the disease is antibiotic resistant.

"Blood, saliva, anything from the body can be used for the analysis," said Chairman Michael Farmer.

There are more than 4,100 strains of influenza -- the Akonni device can quickly detect which one.

Ultimately handheld

Daitch said the ultimate goal is to develop a hand-held device that can be taken anywhere to diagnose patients.

The company, which got its start at the Frederick Innovative Technology Center, could have moved anywhere once it developed the product.

Offers came from five states, Farmer said, with more incentives than Maryland offered. But they decided to stay here because it is close to other biotech companies with nearby customers both in the commercial and federal government sectors.

Stephen Schimpff, one of the board members, said the technology is a major step toward personal, custom medicine. He said in the future it could be determined if a person has a potential for a specific illness and how to prevent it ahead of time, not just when it is detected later.

Rep. Roscoe Bartlett, a Republican representing Western Maryland, said Akonni has developed what only a decade ago would have been considered unthinkable. He noted the technology is a major factor in protecting against bioterrorism through detection.

Daitch said he wanted the company and its 25 employees to locate downtown, citing the city's development of the Carroll Creek Park.

"We are not in some business park somewhere, but in the heart of the city," Daitch said.

The building was once used by Sagner Inc., a clothing manufacturer that went out of business. Akonni remodeled the interior for its offices and laboratories with the latest equipment.

Akonni works closely with Russian scientists, where microarray technology was developed in 1988. Using that technology, Akonni developed its point of care diagnostic tool.

"We are a for-profit company, but we also see this as a commitment to world health and saving lives," Daitch said.