Nidus Center adds TSV, MedCentral, Shurjo Medical to incubator
Linda Tucci

The Nidus Center for Scientific Research has added three health care-related start-ups to its plant and life science incubator on the Monsanto campus.

The addition of MedCentral, TSV Industries Inc. and Shurjo Medical Technologies Inc. brings Nidus' client list to six. In addition, the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center occupies about 35 percent of Nidus' lab space while the plant center building is being build in Creve Coeur.

Funded by Monsanto Co., but governed by an independent board, the non-profit Nidus Center is itself a fledgling. The $10 million, 40,000-square-foot incubator was launched last spring as part of a regional effort to promote St. Louis as a biotechnology center.

"By year end, we should be where we want to be. We have two more clients in the wings and are doing due diligence on another six," said David Broughton, chief operating officer.

The incubator helps young companies get access to funding. The three new Nidus clients are all local and in various stages of development.

MedCentral

MedCentral has raised $16 million in venture capital, half of which is committed and the rest pledged. The investment group was led by Schroder Ventures of Boston and includes Mi3 of Boston, as well as St. Louis firms, A.G. Edwards Capital, Capital for Business and Gateway Associates.

Founded by radiologist Dr. Skip Sallee, the company is providing digital X-rays and other diagnostic images to radiology departments in small and mid-sized markets.

"We're allowing hospitals in these small-sized markets to convert to a completely digital operation without the $1 (million to $3 million costs typically associated with these systems," Sallee said. The Web-based service can distribute the digital X-rays to referring physicians, eliminating the often several-day waiting period for a report.

TSV Industries

Founded by three local physicians and a businessman in Bombay, India, TSV uses digital technology to outsource medical transcription services overseas. Physicians dictate their reports into equipment that creates digital files. The files are sent via a secure Internet site to Bangalore, India, where founder Manish Patel has a transcription company.

Transcribed records are e-mailed back to the physician, saving doctors time and money, said founder Dr. Avi Amin. TSV will charge on a cents-per-line basis and offer free electronic delivery and archiving services. The two other local founders are Dr. Nitin Patel and Dr. David Brown. The founders have invested about $100,000 in the firm.

Shurjo Medical Technologies Inc.

Shurjo is developing a non-invasive, low-cost medical device that will detect cancer when it is too small to be seen. Founded by St. Louis gastroenterologist Dr. Bhaskar Banerjee, Shurjo is conducting tissue culture dish and animal trials.

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