FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:                  NIST 93-21
July 21, 1993

Contact:  Linda Joy
          (301) 975-4403                SIX COMPANIES JOIN
                                        INDUSTRY/GOVERNMENT
                                        CONSORTIUM TO IMPROVE
                                        BIOSENSOR TECHNOLOGY


     One day in the not-too-distant future, your doctor likely
will be able to dip a pen-sized electronic device in a few drops
of blood and provide an instant report on your blood sugar,
cholesterol, iron and various other blood chemistry levels.
Equally important, an environmental engineer at a toxic waste
site undergoing remediation will be able to determine immediately
whether it is safe and free of contaminants.

     The miniature diagnostic tool that will give such quick
results is a biosensor.  Simple models for measuring glucose in a
diabetic's blood are already commercially available, and similar
basic devices soon will be able to analyze a wide variety of
industrial and environmental samples.
     But developing advanced biosensors is not an easy task.
The new biosensors must be reliable, easy to assemble and very
accurate.  To meet these challenges, the National Institute of
Standards and Technology has started the Consortium on Advanced
Biosensors, or CAB.

     Six companies and one government agency are helping NIST
launch the research program.  Corporate members of CAB are:
Becton Dickinson Advanced Diagnostics, Ciba-Corning Diagnostics,
Dow Chemical Co., E.I. duPont de Nemours and Co., Miles Inc. and
Ohmicron Corp.  The Environmental Protection Agency also has
joined the new consortium as an interagency partner.

     The consortium's goal is to solve problems that prevent
commercialization of many biosensor technologies in American
industry.  Located at NIST, the consortium can take direct
advantage of the institute's scientific expertise and laboratory
facilities.

     "To meet CAB's goal, the consortium will support generic
research projects to solve the common problems biosensor
producers face," explains consortium manager Howard Weetall.

     CAB's first project is studying ways to eliminate background
interference from biosensor signals.  In this initial research,
scientists are examining how positively and negatively charged
proteins bind to a dozen different chemical surfaces.

     Consortium members will select future projects and support
them through yearly membership fees.  Depending on company size,
members will contribute $15,000 or $30,000 annually to cover
costs of the research program for CAB's first two years.

     CAB will not work on the development of specific biosensors
for consortium members.  However, each member will be entitled to
exclusive licenses on patents granted to any technologies
developed through the consortium.

     For more information on CAB, contact Howard Weetall, leader
of NIST's Biosensor Technology Group, A353 Chemistry Building,
Gaithersburg, Md. 20899-0001, (301) 975-2628.

     The National Institute of Standards and Technology is the
federal technology agency with the specific mission of helping
U.S. industry to strengthen its competitiveness.  Through
research, services, grants and outreach programs, NIST assists
industry in developing, adapting and commercializing technologies
that lead to greater productivity, higher quality, and new and
improved products and services.  NIST is an agency of the U.S.
Commerce Department's Technology Administration.

                                   -30-

NOTE TO EDITORS:  Attached is a list of consortium members and
contacts.

List of CAB members and contact names:

Corporate Members

Becton Dickinson Advanced               William C. Wallen
Diagnostics                             (410) 316-6159
Sparks, Md.

Ciba-Corning Diagnostics                John MacPhee
Medfield, Mass.                         (508) 359-3602

Dow Chemical Co.                        Ted Miller
Midland, Mich.                          (517) 636-2201

E.I. duPont de Nemours & Co.            John C. Thompson
(DuPont Medical Products)               (302) 451-3584                          
Newark, Del.

Miles Inc.                              Kin Yip
Elkhart, Ind.                           (219) 262-7046                          

Ohmicron Corp.                          Jerome Schwartz
Newtown, Pa.                            (215) 860-5115

Government Agency Partners

Environmental                           Jerry Varns
Protection Agency                       (919) 541-5797

     Atmospheric Research and
     Exposure Assessment Laboratory
     Research Triangle Park, N.C.

     Environmental Monitoring
     Systems Laboratory 
     Las Vegas, Nev.

National Institute                      Howard Weetall
of Standards and Technology             (301) 975-2628
Gaithersburg, Md.