Below, you’ll find the 24 spinout teams participating in this year’s MALSI Day showcase. Each team is spinning out of a research institution and working on something new in diagnostics, therapeutics, devices, and more.
Click through to learn what each team is building, where they’re coming from, and who will be on site to share more about their work. Two teams will receive awards during the event, but all of them highlight the energy and creativity driving the life sciences forward in a changing landscape.
Above Nerves
UMass Amherst
Above Nerves is developing patterned brain organoids that better mimic human neural tissue to improve the predictive accuracy of preclinical drug testing, especially for neurological diseases. Their patented diffusion-based device enhances organoid organization and function, reducing reliance on animal models.
AptaCrops
UMass Amherst
AptaCrops is developing a sustainable agromining platform using Camelina sativa to hyperaccumulate nickel from contaminated soils. This dual-purpose crop enables both nickel extraction and biofuel production, offering a cost-effective, minimally invasive alternative to traditional mining while transforming unusable land into productive acreage.
Professor
Cellsor
Tufts University
Cellsor has developed a biomimetic olfactory tissue that digitizes smell by replicating human nasal epithelium, enabling sensitive and specific detection of volatile compounds. This platform could disrupt fields from diagnostics to environmental monitoring.
Founder
Concordance Therapeutics
Northeastern University
Concordance uses engineered probiotics to deliver therapeutic molecules directly to disease sites in the gut or skin. Their pipeline includes CTX101, a microbe-based therapy that emits wound-healing gases for GI and dermatological disorders.
Founder & CEO
CYPselect
Brandeis University
CYPselect is developing selective small-molecule inhibitors targeting cytochrome P450 enzymes, with an initial focus on castration-resistant prostate cancer. Their proprietary platform enables precision pharmacology for previously undruggable enzyme targets.
Senior Scientist
DetectPath
UMass Lowell
DetectPath is developing SurgiSense, a radiation-free, AI-guided surgical navigation system for spinal fusion procedures. Leveraging photoacoustic technology and machine learning, SurgiSense offers 98.9% precision in differentiating bone types during surgery, aiming to reduce pedicle screw misplacement and improve patient outcomes.
CEO
Dottir Labs
MIT
Dottir Labs is developing a scalable, cost-effective Raman spectroscopy platform for real-time, high-throughput chemical process monitoring in pharmaceutical and biomanufacturing applications. Their Swept-Source Raman technology—licensed from MIT—uses a single tunable laser to support dozens of simultaneous sensors, reducing cost per channel and enabling cloud-based machine learning analytics for process optimization.
CEO
EcoDex
UMass Amherst
EcoDex is building a user-friendly, field-ready environmental DNA (eDNA) monitoring platform that democratizes biodiversity assessment. Combining low-cost sampling kits, expert processing, and AI-powered bioinformatics, the system enables conservationists, researchers, and land managers to quickly generate species-level insights without needing advanced technical expertise.
Founder
EntoCellular
Tufts University
EntoCellular is developing sustainable and ethical pet food ingredients by cultivating insect cells to produce high-quality animal proteins. Their patented process yields nutritionally comparable alternatives to chicken, addressing supply chain disruptions and the rising demand for pet protein while reducing reliance on traditional livestock.
Co-Founder
Everest Biolabs
Harvard University
Everest Biolabs is building a comprehensive platform for exosome-based biomarker discovery, combining high-purity isolation columns, automation tools, and advanced analytics. Their integrated solutions improve the sensitivity, throughput, and scalability of exosome research, enabling tissue-specific, noninvasive diagnostics in fields such as oncology and neurodegenerative disease.
Gelly
MIT
Gelly is developing a next-generation therapeutic platform based on re-engineered mucins—naturally occurring glycoproteins in mucus that selectively block pathogens while preserving beneficial microbiota. Their scalable, glycopolymer-based biogels offer a novel approach to treating conditions like bacterial vaginosis without contributing to antibiotic resistance, with broad potential across vaginal, ocular, oral, and gastrointestinal applications.
HertZ Innovative Technology
UMass Amherst
HertZ Innovative Technology is commercializing BactiSee, a smartphone-based platform for rapid, reliable surface hygiene monitoring. Designed to detect bacterial contamination in under five minutes without culturing, BactiSee offers real-time, visual quantification and pass/fail results—addressing the food industry's critical need for fast, actionable sanitation testing
Latde Diagnostics
UMass Amherst
Latde Diagnostics is developing a rapid, on-site antibiotic susceptibility test for urinary tract infections (UTIs), enabling primary and urgent care providers to prescribe targeted antibiotics in under 90 minutes. Their consumables-only prototype differentiates resistant and susceptible bacteria at the point of care, aiming to reduce treatment failure and streamline clinical workflows.Guiding antibiotic treatment for all
MetaBone
UMass Amherst
MetaBone is pioneering bone organoid technology using patented demineralized bone paper to create scalable, human-derived models for bone metabolism and metastasis research. Their in vitro platform offers rapid, predictive, and cost-effective assays for drug discovery and toxicology, aiming to replace animal testing and accelerate therapies for osteoporosis, bone cancer, and related diseases.
Microvitality
Tufts University
Microvitality is revolutionizing gut health diagnostics with a non-invasive, ingestible capsule that collects uncontaminated microbiome samples directly from the small intestine. Designed to replace costly and inaccurate methods like breath tests and endoscopy, this patented, 3D-printed device provides clinicians with precise data to diagnose and treat Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO) and related conditions. With a first-in-human trial underway and strong clinical validation, Microvitality is poised to disrupt the $10B GI diagnostics market.
Mith.AI
Northeastern University
Mith.AI is the developer of Sugar Slay, a gamified, AI-powered mobile platform designed to improve Type 1 Diabetes management in adolescents. By integrating real-time glucose and fitness data, the app delivers personalized feedback, predictive insights, and interactive engagement. A companion app supports parent collaboration, making chronic disease care more effective and empowering for young users.
MixedLCmediA
Northeastern University
MixedLCmediA is commercializing a next-generation liquid chromatography platform based on novel porous-layer open-tubular (PLOT) columns to dramatically enhance the sensitivity of mass spectrometry-based proteomic analysis. Originating from Northeastern University, their patent-pending technology supports high-throughput, ultra-sensitive workflows using minimal sample volumes—ideal for precision medicine, cancer diagnostics, and drug development. The startup is developing a compact, plug-and-play device with consumables for scalable use in clinical and research labs.
MyoTrack
UMass Lowell
MyoTrack is developing a point-of-care diagnostic device to assess muscle health through urinary protein biomarkers. Designed as a fast, inexpensive, and non-invasive solution, the technology targets both quantitative and qualitative markets—ranging from athletic trainers to military readiness. Future versions will distinguish between skeletal and cardiac muscle injuries, with initial applications in sports performance, rehabilitation, and combat health monitoring.
Nalam Therapeutics
UMass Amherst
Nalam Therapeutics is advancing a next-generation targeted drug delivery platform known as Antibody Nanogel Conjugates (ANCs). These nanogels encapsulate small-molecule drugs and are functionalized with antibodies, enabling highly specific delivery to cancer cells while minimizing off-target toxicity. Capable of loading over 10,000 drug molecules per nanogel, ANCs overcome the payload limitations of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) and allow delivery of “unADCable” therapeutics. Nalam’s lead indication is colorectal cancer, with plans to expand into other solid tumors.
Oxyverse
Harvard University
Oxyverse is developing a noninvasive, AI-powered brain monitoring platform that continuously measures cerebral perfusion, oxygenation, and metabolism in real time. Their technology—validated in clinical settings—aims to detect brain injury earlier and optimize ICU care, potentially reducing ICU stays by 20% and unlocking billions in healthcare savings. Designed for both adult and pediatric use, the system integrates with NVIDIA Holoscan and targets hospitals, EMS, and global markets through a high-margin instrument and consumables model.
PriMetaz
Boston University
PriMetaz is transforming MRI efficiency with MetaPad, a flexible, wearable device that amplifies MRI signal strength, enabling faster, higher-quality scans without modifying standard workflows. The MetaPad doubles the acquired signal, reducing scan time by 50%, and integrates seamlessly into current radiology practices. Backed by an NSF STTR grant and clinical validation at Boston University and Boston Medical Center, PriMetaz is targeting a 2028 market entry for its FDA-regulated, Class II device.
Co-Founder & CEO
VeriMyco
UMass Amherst
VeriMyco is a research-based biotech startup developing precision antifungal therapies using targeted siRNA technology. Their approach combines small interfering RNA (siRNA) with lipid nanoparticle (LNP) delivery systems to silence fungal pathogens without promoting drug resistance. Focused on high-burden diseases like Aspergillus fumigatus, VeriMyco addresses a global market of rising fungal infections with novel, cell-targeted treatments backed by emerging scientific evidence and IP.
ZzAlign
MIT
ZzAlign is developing a novel oral appliance for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) that gently stabilizes the tongue using low-level suction to maintain an open airway during sleep. The personalized, digitally-scanned device has demonstrated a 60–80% increase in airway size and 50% reduction in apneic events. Designed for comfort and long-term use, ZzAlign targets the $2.1B U.S. OSA device market, with a focus on the Veterans Health Administration as its beachhead customer.