DELRAY BEACH, Fla., Aug. 02, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PositiveID Corporation  (OTCQB:PSID), a life sciences company focused on detection and diagnostics, announced today that it has added Dr. R. Paul Schaudies, the CEO and co-founder of GenArraytion, Inc. and an internationally recognized expert in biodefense, biotechnology and nanotechnology, to its Board of Advisors.

PositiveID’s Firefly Dx is designed to be a fully automated, lab quality, real-time device able to detect bio-threats at the point of need in minutes instead of hours. Firefly Dx has successfully detected multiple pathogens including Zika, a fever-causing virus transmitted by the Aedes Aegypti mosquito that can cause microcephaly, a serious congenital condition in which babies are born with head and brain abnormalities.

GenArraytion self-funded the development of the first commercially available, multi-target polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based molecular test to identify the Zika virus, its Aedes Aegypti MultiFLEX™ PCR test, which PositiveID has successfully implemented on its Firefly Dx PCR breadboard prototype pathogen detection system (“prototype system”) to detect the Zika virus. GenArraytion’s MultiFLEX™ molecular assays are readily configurable, highly specific and sensitive multiplex PCR assays ready for use in real-time and bead-based end point platforms, and are developed for clinical pathogens and veterinary disease agents as well as food or water-borne pathogens and biological threats.

Dr. Schaudies has over 20 years of experience as a corporate management executive. He has served on over a dozen National Research Council committees as well as advisory committees for many US Government agencies including Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and Department of Energy. Dr. Schaudies was a primary science advisor to the Environmental Protection Agency On-Scene Coordinator, the Sergeant at Arms of the Senate and House of Representatives and Incident Commander of the 2001 anthrax incident in Washington, DC.

As a US Army Officer, Dr. Schaudies supported the United Nations as a United Nations Special Commission inspector in Iraq. He was an assistant vice president and division manager for Biological and Chemical Defense at Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) for nine years. He spent 13 years as an active duty US Army officer and retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Army Reserve. Dr. Schaudies was the program manager for Biological and Chemical Defense Research in the Central Measurement and Signature Intelligence Office at the Defense Intelligence Agency, and a Senior Researcher at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research.

“We are proud to add Paul, who is highly regarded as one of the preeminent scientists in the field, to our Board of Advisors,” said William J. Caragol, Chairman and CEO of PositiveID. “We believe Paul’s expertise and deep industry relationships can be invaluable as we continue the development and testing of Firefly Dx.”

About PositiveID Corporation
PositiveID Corporation is a life sciences tools and diagnostics company with an extensive patent portfolio. PositiveID develops biological detection and diagnostics systems, specializing in the development of microfluidic systems for the automated preparation of and performance of biological assays. PositiveID is also a leader in the mobile technology vehicle market, with a focus on the laboratory market and homeland security. For more information on PositiveID, please visit http://www.psidcorp.com, or connect with PositiveID on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn.

About GenArraytion Corporation

Based in Rockville, MD, GenArraytion, Inc. is a privately held, Veteran owned, small business dedicated to the development and commercialization of multiplexed molecular assays for infectious diseases. GenArraytion is dedicated to improving healthcare through the development and distribution of treatment-guiding molecular assays on a variety of platforms. GenArraytion develops molecular assays for biodefense applications, infectious disease markets, environmental and forensic applications, and veterinary markets. For more information, visit www.genarraytion.com.