MiProbes

MiProbe develops rapid, hardware-free, point-of-care diagnostic testing. The company developed color changing bio-ink for detection of spoilage and contamination in food. The technology uses a biological sensor. MiProbe developed diagnostic bio-ink that is printable onto surfaces and can detect viruses and bacteria.

MiProbes developed a biosensor to test for bacterial food-borne pathogens such as Salmonella. The biosensor uses a DNA-binding protein which when it attaches to a protein biomarker of the target causes a reaction where a genetic network is activated to express enzymes that catalyze a colorimetric change. The genetic network was designed using stochastic simulations to optimize speed and sensitivity and is based on work previously done by Max Mundt while he was at the Max Planck Institute for terrestrial Microbiology and the Center for Synthetic Microbiology. Cell-free synthetic biology is used whereby cells are broken down to extract a diagnostic “bio-ink” that can be freeze-dried and applied to test strips.

MiProbes is developing a low cost, portable test for COVID-19 that would use a sample swab and give results in less than 1 hour. The company is screening human transcription factors (TFs) that bind COVID-19 viral peptides as an input to bind to DNA and trigger a reaction with their “bio-ink”. MiProbes will work with collaborators.