Stockholders in Transgenic Sciences Inc. are hoping that scientists studying mice will view the firm’s first product as a boon. The Worcester, Mass., company says its offering, Cryozyte, will enable researchers to preserve mouse embryos on-site, thus eliminating the need for the bulky and expensive equipment traditionally used for cryopreservation. Before Cryozyte, says James Sherblom, chief executive officer of the two-year-old biotech firm, labs without the cryopreservation apparatus had to send samples to off-site services. Sherblom, an MBA with a background in strategy consulting, projects that each of the approximately 5,000 scientists in the U.S. who work with mice could use between five and 10 Cryozyte kits per year.
The company, whose staff includes 10 scientists, has several more products in the works, all involving molecular biology. Scheduled for launch within the next few months is Protox, an in vitro screen for tumor promoters. Also in the pipeline is Mutox,...