BORNHEIM, Germany - Genescan Europe AG said it helped found a biochip company in Berlin called Arcensus AG.

The co-founder is Rostock University-based professor Arndt Rolfs, who holds 30 percent of the new company, according to Genescan spokesman Manfred Claassens.

Genescan, of Freiburg, Germany, said Arcensus will develop special chips, each of which will be able to detect pathogens for one specific organ system. One "Neuro-Chip" will detect all pathogens causing meningitis or encephalitis. A "Sepsis-Chip" will be made to cover all pathogens causing sepsis, and a "Pulmo-Chip" will be used for pulmonia bugs. Organisms causing uro-genital infections will be detected by a "Uro-Chip."

The chips use consensus polymerase chain reaction (C-PCR). Probes can be taken from urine, liquor, blood or sputum. "The first chips shall be evaluated vs. conventional tests in clinical tests beginning in the second half of 2001," Claassens said.

The chips are designed to give results in two to six hours compared to two to 20 days necessary for conventional tests, according to Genescan.

"Development of the technique has started in our Genescan labs," Claassens told BioWorld International. "But since our core competence is food control, we decided to establish Arcensus as our own branch for medical issues. Until now, there wasn't any external venture capital needed for the new company."