Recent Start-Up Companies

Genetic Testing Laboratory

NMSU has partnered with private investors Jack Ellis and Bill White to expand its presence in the genetic testing industry. Genetic Testing Laboratories, Inc., is a for-profit New Mexico corporation. It is a DNA-based human identity lab, located in the Genesis Center. This company is a spin-off from NMSU research.

The Genetic Testing Lab is accredited by the American Association of Blood Banks and offers many services including paternity and maternity testing, immigration testing, and various forms of relationship testing. In addition to these services, the company has home test kits available and provides legally binding tests for use in courts within the United States.

The idea to create this lab originated with Pete Lammers, a biochemistry professor at NMSU along with John Spalding and Stefan Long of NMSU's Physical Science Laboratory. A key to the long-term success of the laboratory is to diversify the DNA-based services offered. Forensic and clinical testing markets provide two opportunities for the Genetic Testing Lab to expand its services.

LaSys

A great example of the commercialization of New Mexico State University (NMSU) intellectual property is the start-up company, LaSys. This company, based in Las Cruces, is the exclusive licensee of optical technology that was developed at NMSU. The university holds an equity ownership position in LaSys and has continuing involvement with the company through NMSU inventors, scientists, and engineers. This company is located in the Genesis Center which is owned and operated by the Arrowhead Center.

LaSys was founded by NMSU physicists, engineers, and an entrepreneur with experience in organizing technology based companies. LaSys possesses exclusive rights to optical nanocomposite technology with commercial potential in many industries. The technology is based on two novel classes of composite optical materials that were recently developed by NMSU faculty. The two composites are made up of fractals and semi continuous metal films embedded in microcavities. These composites are able to significantly amplify optical signals and can be used to develop optical detectors, lasers, and amplifiers. This technology has applications in fields such as chemical and biological detection and defense, medicine and the life sciences, illicit drug interdiction and control, and detection of explosive agents.

LaSys is working with New Mexico congressional representatives on a $2.5 million project to create a homeland security device that can detect harmful organisms in imported food. This company has also been awarded two military research contracts; one of these contracts is a four-year, $3.2 million contract with the U.S. Air Force.

LaSys Contact Information
3655 Research Drive
Building B, Room 107
Las Cruces, NM 88003-8001