Chiral Technologies acquires Henrietta biotech firm

Diffinity Genomics Inc., a Henrietta-based biotech company, has been acquired by global life science firm Chiral Technologies Inc., officials said Friday.

Diffinity Genomics has developed DNA purification technology for equipment used in genomics research and molecular diagnostics, and was awarded a patent for the technology earlier this year.

Terms of the acquisition have not been disclosed.

"The innovative, patented purification technology from Diffinity was a perfect choice for our expansion in the bio-separation/purification marketspace," said Joseph Barendt, chief operating officer of Chiral Technologies.

Diffinity Genomics is to become a new business unit of Chiral Technologies. There are three full-time employees of Diffinity Genomics who have become employees of Chiral Technologies, a company spokeswoman said. The business unit will remain in the Rochester area for at least the next year.

The long-term location of the business unit will be determined by the business conditions in the future, she added.

Upon the successful completion of the acquisition of the assets of Diffinity Genomics, CEO Joseph Marasco plans to leave the firm to pursue other interests.

"We are very pleased to become part of Chiral Technologies. We are confident that this is an ideal fit with Chiral Technologies as a multinational development partner to commercialize Diffinity’s unique technologies," he said.

Diffinity Genomics is backed by venture capital fund Excell Partners Inc. and High Tech Rochester Inc. incubator. Both Excell Partners and HTR are affiliates of the University of Rochester where the technology of Diffinity Genomics originated, officials said.

Diffinity Genomics was founded in 2005, based on intellectual property developed with UR. In 2007, Diffinity was admitted into the incubation program at HTR, and Excell Partners invested in the company in 2010.

“Diffinity is yet another example of not only the great research and innovation taking place in Upstate New York, but an excellent example of the impact of active collaboration on emerging technologies. Excell’s investment, combined with HTR’s incubator services, provided the essential resources for Diffinity’s CEO to launch and grow the company,” said Excell CEO Theresa Mazzullo and HTR president James Senall in a joint statement.

Chiral Technologies, part of Daicel Corp., is based in West Chester, Pa.

Excell is a venture capital fund that invests in seed and early stage high-tech startups in Upstate New York.

The non-profit HTR serves as a catalyst for entrepreneurship and innovation-based economic development, to aid in the formation and profitable growth of companies in the Rochester area and the Finger Lakes Region of Upstate New York.

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