PharmaSeq, Inc has developed the first light-activated microtransponder, also known as a “p-Chip”, that is used in a variety of life science and RFID applications. A microtransponder is a 500-micron-size silicon chip that, when illuminated by light, emits a radio frequency signal carrying its ID number. The number allows the identification of the chip and the product to which it is attached, or the identification of the biomolecules deposited on. PharmaSeq's versatile platform has led to two major applications:

• Bioassays. When used in conjunction with biological probes, nucleic acids or proteins, and a high-throughput analyzer, the microtransponders can facilitate the detection of multiple substances in a single biological sample. This is known as a “multiplex” assay and has been demonstrated in a diagnostic test that detects fifty different mutations related to cystic fibrosis, a major genetic disease.
• RFID. When used in conjunction with a proprietary injector, p-Chips can be placed under the skin of small animals, such as laboratory mice, and used to track them through experiments in research and pre-clinical trials.

PharmaSeq has a number of patents and patents pending related to microtransponder technology. PharmaSeq is privately held and based near Princeton, NJ.