At SURFACtoBioTech, the biotech revolution comes drop by drop
The tecHHub in Science City Hamburg is currently developing into a new hotspot for deeptech startups. One example of this is SURFACtoBioTech, whose solution makes biotechnological experiments faster, cheaper and more precise.
Jacqueline De Lora has been fascinated by science since she was a child, so it was only logical to make it her profession. She grew up in New Mexico. In Albuquerque, the largest city in the US state, she studied biology and chemistry and graduated with a PhD, the equivalent of a German doctorate. In 2020, her research activities brought her to the Max Planck Institute for Medical Research in Heidelberg.
Chemist Martin Schröter has a similar career, with the difference that he already completed his studies in Heidelberg. His dissertation dealt with synthetic cells and the construction of artificial tissue from them. Surfactants play an important role in this synthesis. These are substances that enable two normally immiscible liquids such as water and oil to be mixed together. The best-known surfactant is soap. Modern surfactants are used, among other things, in droplet-based microfluidics, a field of science in which both Jacqueline and Martin are involved and which brought them together at the Max Planck Institute.
Microfluidics deals with the behavior of liquids and gases in the smallest of spaces. Areas of application include the production of cell cultures, drug research and rapid tests. The method proved to be particularly effective in carrying out PCR tests for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 (coronavirus). It led to faster and more accurate results than all other methods.
Droplet-based microfluidics has thus developed into a serious alternative to the use of microtiter plates. These are laboratory devices for investigating biological properties that contain wells arranged in rows and columns. A typical microtiter plate, for example, has 96 wells, each of which can hold 200 microliters of liquid. In our everyday lives, this is not a lot; 200 microliters correspond to 0.2 millilitres, while a simple shot of schnapps is calculated to be 20 millilitres.
In the world of microfluidics, however, 200 microliters is a large amount. They correspond to 20,000 droplets, so when this method is used for an analysis, the amount of data is multiplied. This leads to faster and more accurate results at lower costs. Jacqueline uses an example from her personal environment to describe the specific consequences this could have. A friend had a rare form of breast cancer that required special treatment. This necessitated a number of time-consuming and expensive examination methods, such as an MRI scan and a biopsy, the removal and examination of a tissue sample. Droplet-based analyses could bring about a breakthrough towards greater efficiency and better medical care.
This requires stable droplets, which is where surfactants come into play again. These are not always of the needed quality or are not even available for many applications. There is a gap in the market here, which Martin and Jacqueline recognised, prompting them to found SURFACtoBioTech in early 2024. The startup was initially based in Heidelberg, but has since moved to Hamburg. Jacqueline is downright euphoric about the new location:
Theresa Schlosser completes the founding duo. She is responsible for the business aspects of SURFACtoBioTech, but only to a limited extent at the moment, as she is currently on maternity leave and working on her Master's degree. These days the team is setting up at its new location in the tecHHub in Science City Hamburg, where it will use the laboratory equipment and therefore does not have to purchase everything it needs at its own expense. A molecule library is also being set up. The startup has received a wide range of support on its path to growth. For example, the business development agency Hamburg Invest did a lot of persuading and gave practical assistance in setting up in the Hanseatic city.
A variety of opportunities in international competition
Financial backing was provided by funding from IFB Innovationsstarter GmbH and its InnoRampUp programme. SURFACtoBioTech has also already completed its first round of financing, with business angels investing a six-figure sum. The young company has even acquired its first paying customers. The potential customer base is broad. Initially, it mainly includes research institutions from the company's own network that require surfactants for their projects. Startups from the biotech cosmos are also in focus, and the marketing of accessories for the experiments is another business model. In the long term, however, the pharmaceutical industry is expected to generate the largest revenues from the development of new drugs.
SURFACtoBioTech wants to assert itself in international competition. The startup platform Tracxn lists 42 companies worldwide that are involved in surfactants. The USA, India and China are the leaders here, while the UK and France are the strongest in Europe. Not all of these startups specialise in biotech; their offerings are often more in the direction of cosmetics and cleaning products. The area in which SURFACtoBioTech operates still offers plenty of room for real innovation and the knowledge advantage that the team brings with it justifies additional optimism.
