As manufacturers around the world look for ways to make products that support the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, National Grid is finding a way to support companies across New York who are joining those efforts. Locally, Applied DNA Sciences, a biopharmaceutical company located at Stony Brook, NY is receiving National Grid funding to produce critical therapeutics and diagnostics for health care workers and patients.

Applied DNA Sciences delivers large-scale custom-manufactured DNA. Historically employed for anti-counterfeiting and supply chain security, the company is now applying its expertise to produce linear DNA on a massive scale for the therapeutics and diagnostics markets in the fight against COVID-19. When they decided to turn to manufacture vaccine candidates and diagnostic tests, National Grid was ready to help offset their costs.

“We are grateful for this grant from National Grid in partnership with New York State Manufacturing Extension Partnership (NY-MEP) program to help us accelerate the expansion of our vaccine development and diagnostics business toward COVID-19 to more quickly serve the community,” said Dr. James Hayward, President & CEO, Applied DNA Sciences. “Our vaccine candidate manufacturing platform provides product which we believe to be at a lower risk profile, and is more easily customized, than traditional solutions in the market. A COVID-19 preclinical trial is underway with our vaccine development partner. Our COVID-19 diagnostics assay just received FDA Emergency Use Authorization and is immediately available to health systems to enable a local and national ‘flattening of the curve’ through mass testing for COVID-19. Our National Grid grant with NY-MEP support will help us ensure regulatory compliance and operations efficiency as we move to commercialize our COVID-19 development efforts.”

To support businesses like Applied DNA Sciences in manufacturing the critical products needed during the COVID-19 pandemic, National Grid is fast-tracking funding requests made through its Manufacturing Productivity Program. The program, in collaboration NY-MEP and regional center, offers funding of up to $40,000 to reimburse customers for the costs to transition their existing facilities to produce critical medical equipment and supplies needed to support the COVID-19 response effort.

“Our goal is to partner with manufacturers statewide to retool their businesses to fight the pandemic,” said John Bruckner, National Grid’s New York president. “Our fast-track funding is one of the many ways we are helping win the war against COVID-19 by increasing productivity and implementing programs that will sustain businesses during the recovery.”

National Grid provided the full $40,000 incentive to Applied DNA Sciences to help offset costs to expand their portfolio of products to manufacture vaccine candidates and testing kits.

Applied DNA Sciences is also working with the regional center of NY-MEP in identifying and coordinating resources for Applied DNA Sciences to assist them with this new product launch.

Federal, state and local officials are asking manufacturers to shift production to critical personal protective equipment and medical equipment needed by front-line health workers and institutions responding to the pandemic.

In response to COVID-19, National Grid has streamlined the program to help manufacturers who need assistance to develop new products or implement lean manufacturing, to produce critical items to support the pandemic response. Funding will be made available to manufacturers working with their regional New York State Manufacturing Extension Partnership centers on eligible activities. The program is part of the company’s suite of Shovel Ready economic development programs for New York. For more information on the program and other eligibility requirements, please visit www.shovelready.com.

About National Grid

National Grid (NYSE: NGG) is an electricity, natural gas, and clean energy delivery company serving more than 20 million people through our networks in New York, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. National Grid is transforming our electricity and natural gas networks with smarter, cleaner, and more resilient energy solutions to meet the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

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About Applied DNA Sciences, Inc.

Applied DNA is a provider of molecular technologies that enable supply chain security, anti-counterfeiting and anti-theft technology, product genotyping, diagnostics and pre-clinical nucleic acid-based therapeutic drug candidates.

Visit adnas.com for more information. Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn. Join our mailing list.

The Company’s common stock is listed on NASDAQ under ticker symbol ‘APDN’, and its publicly traded warrants are listed on OTC under ticker symbol ‘APPDW’.