The collaboration will focus on creating a cortisol biosensor for stress and metabolic health testing using luminescent biosensors and AI-guided interpretation.
EazeBio announced a strategic partnership with the University of California, Santa Cruz to advance and commercialize an instrument-free diagnostic platform that combines luminescent biosensors with AI-guided interpretation.
The collaboration will co-develop a cortisol biosensor for stress and metabolic health testing, combining EazeBio’s expertise in scalable biotechnology with UC Santa Cruz’s biosensing research capabilities. The platform is designed to deliver lab-quality testing without requiring instrumentation, refrigeration, or specialized training.
“At EazeBio, we are committed to transforming the way diagnostics reach people,” says Reem Mahrat, CEO and founder of EazeBio, in a release. “Our partnership with UC Santa Cruz brings together world-class science and mission-driven innovation to create a platform built not just for performance—but for global health equity.”
Multiple Applications Planned
The flexible system can be rapidly customized for various applications, including antimicrobial resistance detection, viral outbreak response for influenza, RSV, and novel coronaviruses, hormonal monitoring, cancer biomarker detection for early-stage screening, and biothreat and emergency response scenarios, according to a release from EazeBio.
The platform incorporates innovative detection chemistry with luminescent biosensors, modular assay design, and AI-guided interpretation. It’s engineered for deployment in both high-resource and underserved settings.
“AI-based protein design now lets us tackle questions once thought impossible, and I’m excited to see EazeBio translating this technology and driving progress toward making a meaningful difference in people’s lives,” says Andy Yeh, PhD, assistant professor of biomolecular engineering at the UC Santa Cruz Baskin School of Engineering, in a release.
Clinical Perspective
Belal Abdallah, clinical advisor at EazeBio, emphasized the platform’s potential impact on healthcare delivery. “As a clinician and CEO of an accountable care organization, I’ve seen how diagnostic delays exacerbate health disparities,” says Abdallah in a release. “EazeBio’s instrument-free platform, born from this UC Santa Cruz collaboration, flips the script—bringing precision medicine to the patient’s doorstep with speed, affordability, and equity.”
The partnership represents EazeBio’s mission to democratize access to clinical-grade testing by bringing rapid diagnostics to the point of care in both developed and resource-limited settings. The company is seeking partnerships with global health organizations, investors, and innovators to scale the platform across geographies and use cases.
Photo caption: Reem Mahrat, CEO and founder of EazeBio.
Photo credit: EazeBio
