The Seattle biotech company receives a $750,000 Gates Foundation grant to develop a rapid diagnostic using novel protein binders and a luciferase system.
Monod Bio has received a $750,000 grant from Grand Challenges, a Gates Foundation initiative, to develop a point-of-care diagnostic test for preeclampsia using AI-designed proteins.
The Seattle-based biotechnology company will use the funding to create a diagnostic test that measures key preeclampsia biomarkers sFlt-1 and PlGF. The test will be built on Monod Bio’s NovoLISA platform, which combines NovoBody binders and LuxSit technology.
“Monod Bio’s NovoBody Binders represent a new class of computationally designed proteins that function as next-generation antibody replacements, while LuxSit is a de novo luciferase reporter system,” says Alfredo Quijano-Rubio, chief scientific officer of Monod Bio, in a release. “Together, these technologies create a rapid, one-step, ‘mix-and-read’ format that delivers results in under 15 minutes without the need for complex wash steps.”
Addressing Global Health Disparities
The diagnostic aims to address accessibility challenges in low- and middle-income countries, where existing biomarker-based tests for preeclampsia are often unavailable due to high costs and complex laboratory infrastructure requirements.
“Preeclampsia is a leading cause of fetal and maternal morbidity and mortality worldwide, and while biomarker-based tests are highly accurate, they are often inaccessible in low- and middle-income countries due to high costs and reliance on complex laboratory infrastructure,” says Damian Madan, senior director of strategic initiatives at Monod Bio, in a release. “Our new diagnostic aims to address this critical gap by enabling earlier and more frequent testing in resource-constrained environments, which can lead to better health outcomes for both the mother and child.”
AI-Powered Protein Design Platform
Monod Bio, a spinout from the David Baker Lab at the University of Washington’s Institute for Protein Design, uses AI-powered de novo protein design to create novel protein binders and biosensors for research use only and in vitro diagnostic applications.
“Preeclampsia remains a silent crisis in many parts of the world, and timely diagnosis is the step to saving lives,” says Daniel Silva Manzano, PhD, CEO of Monod Bio, in a release. “With this support, we can apply our de novo protein design platform to create a diagnostic solution that is not just highly sensitive and specific, but also affordable and simple enough to be used where it’s needed most.”
The company operates through a “Monod Inside” business model, partnering with research and diagnostic organizations to bring next-generation products to market. The preeclampsia project represents an application of the company’s AI-based protein design technology to global health challenges.
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