University Startup Microlab Delivers Speedy Diagnostic Tests

James Landers
Photo by Melissa Maki

James Landers, professor of chemistry, professor of mechanical engineering, and associate professor of pathology at the University of Virginia, conducts research on a miniature scale, but his startup company, Microlab Diagnostics, has very big plans.

Microlab was founded on technology that Landers and his colleagues developed at U.Va. based on the microchips that are commonly found in computers and other common electronic devices. But instead of electrons, fluids flow through Landers’ chip—and it has medical and forensic rather than computational applications. This technology, combined with some elegant DNA detection technology from John Pettit, co-founder of Microlab, provides the basis for a next generation platform for biochemical analysis.

This tiny chip is capable of quick, easy, and inexpensive genetic analysis, making complex laboratory testing “very small and very fast,” says Landers.  Diagnostic tests for cancer and other diseases are typically sent out to central labs to be analyzed—forcing patients to wonder and wait for weeks.  According to Landers, with just one drop of blood, and with Microlab’s burgeoning technology, you could conduct the same analytical tests in about an hour.

The possibility of rapidly detecting and treating fatal diseases is a major driver of Landers’ work.  “Earlier diagnosis means a better chance of successful treatment—especially for cancers that are more difficult to diagnose, like pancreatic and colorectal cancers,” he explains.

Microlab now holds nine U.Va. patents related to the technology and another three from Pettit Technologies.  Landers is also collaborating with Matt Begley, a mechanical engineering professor at U.Va., to further develop designs for controlling flow for specific applications.  For instance, they are working on a handheld device that would enable instant DNA testing at the scene of a crime.

Microlab is a participant in U.Va's T100 Alumni Mentoring Program.  T100 matches startup companies with U.Va. alumni who are business experts in order to provide guidance and financial assistance to companies as they evolve towards commercialization.  “The concept of having a T100 mentor with tried and true business experience is outstanding,” says Landers. “Academicians function in a University setting and are isolated from the business world.  And, as a result, we tend to be naïve about some aspects of commercialization.”

A paper that appeared late last year in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences demonstrated the great commercial potential of Landers’ research.  Using the “lab-on-a-chip” prototype, researchers were able to detect the presence of the bacteria causing anthrax in mice within only 30 minutes, reducing the analysis time by almost two orders of magnitude.

Landers argues that this demonstration of Microlab’s diagnostic capabilities sets them above their competitors.  “Unlike other researchers, we’re not just promising that we can make this happen,” says Landers.  “We’ve done it.  And we have the data to back us up.”

This supportive data is proving invaluable in Microlab’s quest for financial support.  The company has already been successful in attracting nearly a million dollars in seed stage funding from angel investors.