Our Innovation Analysts recently looked into emerging technologies and up-and-coming startups working on solutions for the BioTech sector. As there is a large number of startups working on a wide variety of solutions, we decided to share our insights with you. This time, we are taking a look at 5 promising phenotypic screening solutions.
Heat Map: 5 Top Phenotypic Screening Solutions
Using our StartUs Insights Platform, covering 1.116.000+ startups & emerging companies, we looked at innovation in the field of BioTech. For this research, we identified 81 relevant solutions and picked 5 to showcase below. These companies were chosen based on a data-driven startup scouting approach, taking into account factors such as location, founding year, and technology among others. Depending on your specific criteria, the top picks might look entirely different.
The Global Startup Heat Map below highlights 5 startups & emerging companies developing phenotypic screening solutions. Moreover, the Heat Map reveals regions that observe a high startup activity and illustrates the geographic distribution of all 81 companies we analyzed for this specific topic.
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Phenomic AI – Cell-Based Assays
Identifying molecules with particular biological effects in cell-based assays is making the drug discovery process faster. Phenotypic screening, with the help of advancements in machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI), allows the BioTech industry to create highly targetted and better solutions for healthcare. For example, startups are developing deep learning algorithms to improve the process of drug discovery.
Canadian startup Phenomic AI creates cell-based assays to treat fibrosis and cancer. These assays enable the startup to study the various interactions of multiple cell types. Later, it applies deep learning techniques to analyze complex physiological and relevant disease models to combat cancers and provide appropriate healthcare at the early stages of illness.
MaxWell Biosystems – High-Density Microelectrode Arrays
Understanding the electrical currents in neurons creates multiple opportunities for novel therapeutics. Technological advancements in biotechnology enable many research and development (R&D) centers to discover new drugs and approaches to better understand neurological ailments. Accuracy and short-turnaround for drug discovery result in increased competitiveness and profitability for the entire industry.
Swiss startup MaxWell Biosystems develops high-density microelectrode arrays to enable phenotypic screening and measure electrical activity at the cellular level. These arrays, distributed over a large area, simultaneously record electrical activity from thousands of cells. Signal amplification and optimized electrode utilization help the startup improve the signal-to-noise ratio at significantly high electrode density. Pharmaceutical R&D companies make use of this high-resolution screening solution for improving accuracy.
Arctoris – Drug Candidate Identification
During the process of drug discovery, pharma companies lack the capacity to conduct or tend to overlook a variety of parameters that results in poor candidate selection. The non-availability of data on cellular interactions further dampens the discovery effort. End-to-end automation of the drug discovery process, in contrast, provides significant meta-data capture and allows startups to create ML algorithms for accurately identifying drug candidates.
British startup Arctoris provides cell-based molecular biology assays for drug development. With the help of phenotypic screens, cell morphology assessments, live-cell imaging, and co-culture cell systems, the startup enables improvements in the identification of drug candidates. The startup also analyzes cell viability, cytotoxicity, and metabolic health assays.
Plant-DiTech – Phenotypic Screening Platform For Plants
High-throughput automated screening of plant phenotypes enables crop development in terms of optimizing soil conditions and irrigation strategies that eventually result in better crop yields. Advancements in phenotypic screening provide insights into molecular interactions in plant cells. Startups work on phenotypic screening solutions that aim to improve the overall crop yield and quality.
Israeli startup Plant-DiTech is working on a multi-sensor, physiological phenotyping gravimetric-based platform to understand soil and atmosphere interactions in plants. The Plantarray phenotypic approach is a linear correlation between water use and plant productivity in dynamic environments. The platform analyzes the irrigation, biostimulant levels, and stress tolerance for plants in all growth stages and improves overall yield. The system’s benefits lie in its continuous and simultaneous measurement of the varying water flux, in each plant in the array, under varying ambient conditions.
Forcyte Biotechnologies – Contractile Cell Force
Diseases that manifest with symptoms such as bladder control, breathing difficulties, and preterm labor cause multiple complications across population groups. Control over external environments, as well as stress levels, play an important role in helping manage these diseases. Bronchodilation in the lungs, caused by relaxation of the airway muscles, provides significant relief for asthma patients and enables them to lead inclusive lives.
The US-based startup Forcyte Biotechnologies utilizes a high-throughput analysis platform to quantify and visualize mechanical forces at the molecular level. Proprietary Fluorescent Elastomeric Contractible Surfaces (FLECS) technology, spanning microtechnology, image analysis, and cellular biology, enables the startup to provide therapeutic solutions for asthma, hypertension, and fibrosis.
What About The Other 76 Solutions?
While we believe data is key to creating insights it can be easy to be overwhelmed by it. Our ambition is to create a comprehensive overview and provide actionable innovation intelligence so you can achieve your goals faster. The 5 phenotypic screening solutions in biotech showcased above are promising examples out of 81 we analyzed for this article. To identify the most relevant solutions based on your specific criteria, get in touch.
