Mission-driven diagnostics start-up grows with support from INTEGRA prize
Nanopath has developed a novel platform for molecular diagnostics that avoids the amplification steps in PCR, allowing for rapid testing closer to the point of care. The company’s vision is to disrupt traditional testing methodologies for women in outpatient settings and enable clinicians to form a diagnosis and treatment plan while the patient is still in the clinic. Nanopath is particularly passionate about the applications of its new technology in rural populations, where access to centralized laboratories is limited.
Dr Amogha Tadimety, Co-Founder and CEO at Nanopath, described why the company decided to apply for start-up support from INTEGRA: “When we first launched, Nanopath was headquartered at LabCentral, a shared laboratory space, and we took advantage of the resources provided there. This is where we were first introduced to the ASSIST PLUS pipetting robot, which enabled us to automate many of the workflows that underpin our technology. This system substantially increased our throughput, quadrupling the number of patient samples we could run in a day, while providing superior accuracy. Starting with these products made a tangible difference to a small company like ours so, when we left the shared facility, we made the decision to purchase our own ASSIST PLUS and a VOYAGER adjustable tip spacing pipette. This positive experience then made us eager to apply to win EVOLVE manual pipettes when INTEGRA opened the competition.”
Nick Picca, Associate Director of Business Operations at Nanopath, discussed how the company will benefit from these new products: “We received 30 EVOLVE pipettes of different sizes, and have already started to build them into our workflows. They will mainly be used for sample transfer steps in the validation of new assays that we hope to translate into the clinic in the future. Nanopath is at an important inflection point, and, thanks to INTEGRA’s timely support, we know that we will not experience liquid handling bottlenecks as we continue to grow. INTEGRA clearly appreciates that we are a mission-driven organization that will profoundly benefit from the new equipment at this stage, and I believe this is why we were chosen as the first prize winners.”
“Nanopath is a small company, and our team brings multifaceted expertise in assay development and engineering,” Amogha continued. “With all our lab personnel using the same pipettes for each workflow, we can ensure consistency between users and experiments to provide a solid foundation of data that we can trust. It’s also critical for us to tap into INTEGRA’s wealth of technical expertise as we design new protocols. Building a relationship with such a supportive supplier is invaluable to start-ups like us, and winning the pipettes will undoubtedly positively impact Nanopath’s journey in a significant way. We would highly recommend other innovative disruptors in the biotechnology sector to apply to this program, which could help propel them to the next stage of development.”
INTEGRA supports start-ups program
This initiative from INTEGRA will act as a technology launchpad for high-potential start-ups that rely on pipetting technologies. Selected winning laboratories will be equipped with up to 50 free EVOLVE pipettes each, plus $1,000 worth of GRIPTIP pipette tips. Winners can select single or multichannel pipette options with an accompanying linear stand and, if the laboratory is located in the US, calibrations for the first year will be offered for each pipette free of charge. Enter the competition today for the opportunity to win prizes that will streamline your lab workflows and accelerate your company’s development.