Firm wins federal contract

SARASOTA — Rapid Pathogen Screening, a medical science firm that specializes in point-of-care diagnostic tests, was awarded a contract from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

The contract is with the department's Chemical and Biological Defense Division. It calls for RPS to develop and manufacture a “rapid, point-of-care diagnostic test to advance U.S. government efforts to aid in diagnosis in the unfortunate incident of a biological attack or pandemic event,” according to a release. Terms of the contract weren't disclosed.

RPS was founded in 2004. The firm gained industry buzz in 2009, when it marketed a patent-protected product it created that can detect pink eye in patients in less than 10 minutes. The firm named Mark Myslinski, an industry veteran, as CEO earlier this year. Myslinski replaced previous CEO Thomas Orsini.