Advanced Silicon Group

Advanced Silicon Group (ASG) is a nanotechnology company commercializing a new generation of biosensors for rapid and low-cost protein measurement. Founded in 2015 by CEO Dr. Marcie Black and CMSO Bill Rever, the company spun out of Bandgap Engineering to apply silicon nanotechnology to the field of protein sensing. Dr. Black, an MIT alumna with a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, has a background in electronic materials, semiconductors, and nanotechnology from her time at Los Alamos National Laboratory and as co-founder of Bandgap Engineering. Bill Rever contributes extensive experience in the solar energy sector, having held various roles at Solarex and later BP Solar.

ASG's core product is the LightSense™ biosensor, which utilizes patented silicon nanowire array and photoelectric ELISA technology. This technology functions similarly to a solar cell; silicon nanowires are functionalized with antibodies specific to a target protein. When the protein binds to the antibody, it creates an electrical charge that alters the silicon's photoelectric properties, allowing for a highly sensitive electrical measurement of the protein's concentration. This method enables the simultaneous measurement of multiple proteins from a single sample, with results available in under 15 minutes. The company's business model involves selling these consumable sensors along with a handheld testing system and software. The primary target market is the biopharmaceutical industry, where the technology can significantly reduce the time and cost associated with drug development and manufacturing quality control compared to traditional ELISA tests.

The company is located in Lowell, Massachusetts, and has received funding from various sources, including MassVentures, the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), and angel investor groups like Cherrystone Angel Group. ASG is actively partnering with companies in regenerative medicine and has received grants to develop tests for various biomarkers, including those for lung cancer and host cell proteins.

Keywords: biosensors, silicon nanowires, protein sensing, nanotechnology, biomanufacturing, photoelectric ELISA, drug development, quality control, medical diagnostics, life sciences, silicon nanotechnology, multiplexed testing, host cell protein measurement, regenerative medicine, biopharma, antibody functionalization, semiconductor processing, rapid diagnostics