SOUTH EASTON, Mass., Dec. 10, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Pressure BioSciences, Inc. (OTCQB: PBIO) ("PBI" or the "Company") today announced the commencement of the third independent evaluation of its new Barozyme HT48 high-throughput system. The evaluation will take place in the laboratory of Dr. William E. Funk of the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University.  The Funk Laboratory focuses on developing and applying biomarker methods to explore environmental risk factors associated with chronic diseases, cancers, and other complex disorders.  The Funk Laboratory is a current customer of the Company's patented pressure cycling technology ("PCT") instrument and consumable products.

To date, the Company has installed over 250 PCT instruments in laboratories worldwide.  These instruments deliver important and unique capabilities for the analysis and characterization of biological samples. The Company believes its new Barozyme HT48 high-throughput system offers major benefits for integrating the PCT-based sample preparation platform into modern laboratory operations that leverage robotic automation for high-throughput handling and processing of samples.

Dr. William Funk, Assistant Professor, Department of Preventive Medicine at Northwestern University, said: "While chronic disease and cancers are caused by both genetic and environmental factors, mounting evidence suggests that differences in our environments are likely most important. However, unlike the field of genomics, high throughput global strategies analogous to gene-wide association studies are currently not available for exploring environmental risk factors. As such, new approaches are critically needed to characterize the human 'exposome' at both the individual and population levels during critical periods of human development. We believe the new Barozyme HT48 System, which offers faster sample preparation, higher sample throughput, and increased reproducibility, may provide vast benefits in exposure science for investigating links between the environment and human health."

Dr. Funk continued: "Our laboratory is currently involved in several studies using mass spectrometry to measure protein adducts as exposure biomarkers, which are addition products formed between reactive chemicals in the body and abundant blood proteins. We are enthusiastic about evaluating PBI's new Barozyme HT48 System, as we believe this new system may facilitate accelerated sample preparation that could be critical for environmental health research."

Mr. Richard T. Schumacher, President and CEO of PBI, commented: "We believe the Barozyme HT48 is a 'game-changing' system that can fuel growth, increase revenue for existing and new PCT-based applications and products, and greatly facilitate the formation of new strategic partnerships. To help achieve these objectives, we plan to strengthen and expand our infrastructure, primarily the areas of marketing, sales, manufacturing, and engineering services.  Our team has worked tirelessly to reach this long anticipated inflection point.  We are now focused intently on making significant improvements in our infrastructure in order to take full advantage of this growth opportunity, beginning immediately."

Dr. Nate Lawrence, Vice President of Marketing and Sales at PBI, said: "We are pleased with the results of the Barozyme HT48 evaluation program to date, excited to add a scientist of the caliber of Bill Funk as well as his team to this process, and remain on target to expand this very important program to additional key opinion leaders, both in the U.S. and internationally, over the coming weeks and months."

About the Barozyme HT48 System
The Barozyme HT48 is a first-in-class, high throughput, PCT-based instrument. It is capable of processing up to 48 samples simultaneously using the Company's proprietary BaroFlex 8-well, single-use sample containers. Together, the new Barozyme HT48 instrument and BaroFlex 8-well sample containers make up the Barozyme HT48 High Throughput System (the "Barozyme HT48 System").

The Barozyme HT48 System was designed for rapid, high quality protein digestion - a universally important procedure that the Company believes is performed in thousands of laboratories worldwide.  The ability of the Barozyme HT48 System to process up to 48 samples simultaneously in the universally accepted "microtiter plate" format is a major improvement in the throughput of sample handling and a key step towards automation of PCT-based sample preparation. The new BaroFlex format of single use, disposable sample containers in 8-well strips lowers the total cost per sample processed by PCT and facilitates integration of PCT processing with robotic automation, essential to the throughput and efficiency of modern laboratories. Lastly, the Barozyme HT48 Systems' computer control was designed to meet GLP compliance demands of biopharmaceutical quality control and clinical proteomics labs.

About Pressure BioSciences, Inc.
Pressure BioSciences, Inc. ("PBI") (OTCQB: PBIO) develops, markets, and sells proprietary laboratory instrumentation and associated consumables to the estimated $6 billion life sciences sample preparation market. Our products are based on the unique properties of both constant (i.e., static) and alternating (i.e., pressure cycling technology, or PCT) hydrostatic pressure. PCT is a patented enabling technology platform that uses alternating cycles of hydrostatic pressure between ambient and ultra-high levels to safely and reproducibly control bio-molecular interactions. To date, we have installed over 250 PCT systems in approximately 160 sites worldwide. There are over 100 publications citing the advantages of the PCT platform over competitive methods, many from key opinion leaders. Our primary application development and sales efforts are in the biomarker discovery and forensics areas. Customers also use our products in other areas, such as drug discovery & design, bio-therapeutics characterization, soil & plant biology, vaccine development, histology, and forensic applications.      

Forward Looking Statements
Statements contained in this press release regarding PBI's intentions, hopes, beliefs, expectations, or predictions of the future are "forward-looking'' statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based upon the Company's current expectations, forecasts, and assumptions that are subject to risks, uncertainties, and other factors that could cause actual outcomes and results to differ materially from those indicated by these forward-looking statements. These risks, uncertainties, and other factors include, but are not limited to, the risks and uncertainties discussed under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013, and other reports filed by the Company from time to time with the SEC. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any of the information included in this release, except as otherwise required by law.

 For more information about PBI and this press release, please click on the following website link: http://www.pressurebiosciences.com 
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Investor Contacts:
Richard T. Schumacher, President and CEO (508) 230-1828 (T)
Nathan P. Lawrence, Vice President, Marketing and Sales (508) 230-1829 (F)

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SOURCE Pressure BioSciences, Inc.