The Kansas Bioscience Authority’s investment committee approved investments for two Kansas bioscience companies’ efforts on Monday.

Lawrence-based Echogen also earned a $199,500 proof-of-concept grant from the investment committee, but because it was passed unanimously, approval of the grant does not need to go before the full KBA board.

That grant will be used to test out a more efficient method for identifying and separating proteins. The idea uses knowledge gained in the lab of Kansas University professor Jennifer Laurence.

The funds approved included $123,678 in partial matching grants for Aptakon, based in Kansas City, Kan. That measure must be approved by the KBA’s full board of directors at its meeting next week.

Aptakon will use the funds to develop lab reagents to test for biomarkers.

The company had already earned grants from the National Institutes of Health.

The investment committee also approved a measure that would direct KBA staff to further investigate a KBA Rising Star candidate that could bring a new faculty member to KU Medical Center in support of the KU Cancer Center’s effort to become designated as a national cancer center.

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