Kiwi technology changing how we detect disease
Kiwi start-up Scentian Bio, which is developing a ground-breaking technology that can detect human diseases, such as Tuberculosis and Malaria, has been awarded a US $1.7m grant by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Scentian Bio Limited is harnessing the power of insect olfactory receptors to develop novel biosensors that can detect volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) – or more simply, smells, in liquid and air.
Scentian Bio’s Chief Technology Officer, Dr Andrew Kralicek, spent 19 years at Plant & Food Research determining how smell receptors in insects work and how they can be used to create a biosensor that can detect and identify odours.
“We are creating the world’s first camera for smell by detecting the pattern response from an array of olfactory receptors on an electronic chip,” Kralicek says. “In this way we will democratize VOC sensing beyond the research lab, and put it into the hands of everyday people.”
The platform technology has broad applications across a number of industries, from medical and health applications to food production, environmental monitoring and industrial settings.
“By providing a non-invasive, AI-powered method of detecting volatiles in real time, Scentian Bio’s technology has the power to change the way we respond to some of the biggest global problems – by buying more time for action,” says Warren Bebb, Director of Scentian Bio and Investment Manager at Sprout Agritech, Scentian’s seed-stage investor.
“From detecting disease on the breath for improved healthcare outcomes, to providing safe and high quality food for growing populations, Scentian Bio has some ambitious goals for our technology over the next few years,” says Darja Pavlovic-Nelson the company’s Chief Commercial Officer. “Our relationship with the foundation is a real asset on the journey to prove how our technology can make a meaningful difference in healthcare globally”.
Scentian Bio are currently in the early stages of raising capital to accelerate the development of their platform and deploy a first product prototype in their beachhead market of food production.
About Scentian Bio
Scentian Bio is the first company in the world to combine insect olfactory receptors with nanotechnology to taste and smell chemical compounds ultra-sensitively. Scentian Bio is developing portable biosensor devices for the real-time interpretation of complex chemical signatures. This biosensor platform is exclusively licensed from Plant & Food Research based in New Zealand and is backed by almost 20 years of fundamental research. This disruptive technology will improve the precision and speed of QC and new product development for the flavour & fragrance, and food & beverage industries. It also aims to impact human & animal health diagnostics, food safety monitoring, and water and air quality analysis. For more information visit www.scentianbio.com