MORGANTOWN -- Protea Biosciences says it's signed an exclusive license to develop instruments and software to help make a new method of analyzing tissue, blood and other medical samples available for commercial use.

The Morgantown-based company announced the deal with George Washington University on Tuesday. Protea says West Virginia University provided $1.2 million in financing to acquire the license.

Chief Executive Steve Turner says Protea believes the technology can help biologists and medical professionals more quickly identify proteins, peptides and other chemicals and molecules.

Protea says the process was developed in the laboratory of George Washington chemistry professor Akos Vertes.