This is an extended version of content that appears in the Emerging Technologies feature in the April issue of CLP.

Clinical laboratories currently rely on expensive instrumentation to conduct the full range of diagnostic work-ups. Despite the increasing drive toward automation, most diagnostics performed in clinical laboratory settings are inherently slow, prone to error, and can only be operated by extensively trained personnel.

Electrozyme Sensors flexible plasticTo alleviate many such challenges faced in clinical laboratories, Electrozyme is endeavoring to become the world leader in the development of printed electrochemical biosensors. Founded in 2012 in La Jolla, Calif, the company offers a portfolio of printed biosensors that facilitate high-fidelity amperometric, voltammetric, and potentiometric electrochemical analyses of numerous compounds relevant to the healthcare, environmental sensing, and security monitoring domains. These include metabolites, electrolytes, heavy metals, pollutants, contaminants, and explosive agents.

One of the company’s high-profile offerings includes a temporary tattoo that adheres to the skin and tracks lactate, a form of lactic acid emitted in sweat. The sensor captures physiological information without blood testing and transmits the data in real time to a Electrozyme Printed BFCs_Slide2.jpgmobile device, helping athletes ensure proper hydration and maximize efficiency throughout their workouts. A similar technology is embedded in a wetsuit to detect contaminants in water, offering military and environmental applications. Such sensors have demonstrated parts-per-billion sensitivity in clinical matrices. While the company has thus far focused on the sports, fitness, and wellness domains, CEO Joshua Windmiller, PhD, hopes this strategy will enable Electrozyme to build revenue in non-regulated applications and invest in developing a scalable clinical model.

Electrozyme prints its sensors on widely deployed thick-film substrates, contributing to a substantial cost reduction when compared with their benchtop counterparts. “With this innovation, we are uniquely positioned to offer a strong value proposition for point-of-care, decentralized, and home-based diagnostic applications,” says Windmiller.