Clear Labs, Inc. is a private genomics testing company headquartered in San Carlos, California, United States. It offers a fully automated, next-generation sequencing (NGS) platform for turnkey diagnostics, including SARS-CoV-2 genomic characterization and detection of foodborne pathogens such as listeria and salmonella.[1] It can also verify a food's ingredients, its GMO status, or conduct other tests.[2]
 | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Clinical and applied markets |
| Founded | 2014 |
| Founders | Sasan Amini, Mahni Ghorashi |
| Headquarters | , |
Area served | Global |
Key people | Sasan Amini, CEO and Co-founder; Ramin Khaksar, CSO, COO, and Co-founder |
| Products | Fully automated genomics testing |
Number of employees | 50+ |
| Website | www |
Clear Labs was co-founded by Sasan Amini and Mahni Ghorashi in 2014,[3] who left their jobs at a genomics company to start Clear Labs.[4] The company acquired $6.5 million in series A financing in September 2015.[3] In December 2016, the company closed a $16 million Series B funding round.[5] This was followed by another $21 million round in October 2018.[6]
Clear Labs was granted an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the US FDA in September 2020 for its SARS-CoV-2 descriptive diagnostic test.[7] Clear Labs launched in January 2021 a groundbreaking solution for whole genome sequencing surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 and its mutations.[8] Clear Labs announced in March 2021 that the company had reached a critical milestone of over 50% public health laboratory penetration with its whole genome sequencing SARS-CoV-2 product,[9][10] including laboratories such as Nebraska,[11][12][13] Nevada,[14][15] New York,[16] California[17] and Kansas,[18] among others. Clear Labs Raised a $60M Series C round led by Morgan Stanley and T. Rowe Price in May 2021.[19]
Clear Labs has also received governmental and professional certification for its food safety next generation sequencing platform, including from the International AOAC[20] in December 2019 and the National Poultry Improvement Plan in October 2021.[21]
Notes
editReferences
edit- ^ Schug, Debra (15 March 2017). "Evolving pathogen testing methods offer better, faster alternatives". Food Engineering. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
- ^ Ossola, Alexandra (17 September 2015). "A Genetic Database Will Identify What's Really In Our Food". Popular Science. Popular Science. Retrieved 12 October 2016.
- ^ a b Buhr, Sarah (15 September 2015). "Clear Labs Aims To Be Google Search For GMOs In Packaged Food". techcrunch.com. AOL inc. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
- ^ Grant, Rebecca (23 October 2015). "The Company That Wants to Test Your Hot Dog's DNA". The Atlantic. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
- ^ Buhr, Sarah (13 December 2016). "Google Ventures-backed Clear Labs gets $13 million in Series B to nip food recalls in the bud". techcrunch.com. AOL inc. Retrieved 13 December 2016.
- ^ "Clear Labs closes $21M funding round to advance food safety solutions". Food Dive. Retrieved 2022-06-27.
- ^ "Clear Labs Granted EUA by FDA for SARS-CoV-2 Novel Descriptive Diagnostic". PRWeb. Retrieved 2022-06-27.
- ^ "Clear Labs Launches Groundbreaking Solution for Enhanced Screening and Genomic Surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 and its Mutations". PRWeb. Retrieved 2022-06-27.
- ^ "Clear Labs' Real-Time Technology Solution Supports Half of U.S. Public Health Labs in Identifying SARS-CoV-2 Variants". PRWeb. Retrieved 2022-06-27.
- ^ "Clear Labs Develops SARS-CoV-2 Variant Monitoring Engine Using Rapid Sequencing Workflow". Genomeweb. 2021-07-02. Retrieved 2022-06-27.
- ^ Anderson, Julie. "Nebraska lab uses new gene sequencer to look for COVID-19 mutations". Omaha World-Herald. Retrieved 2022-06-27.
- ^ Simpson, Kalani (2021-02-18). "UNMC uses new technology to discover SARS-CoV-2 mutations in state". University of Nebraska Medical Center. Retrieved 2022-06-27.
- ^ Smith, Mitch (2021-12-04). "At a sequencing lab in Nebraska, tracking Omicron to help gauge its spread". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-06-27.
- ^ Gorzalski, Andrew J.; Boyles, Christina; Sepcic, Victoria; Verma, Subhash; Sevinsky, Joel; Libuit, Kevin; Van Hooser, Stephanie; Pandori, Mark W. (2022-06-22). "Rapid Repeat Infection of SARS-CoV-2 By Two Highly Distinct Delta-lineage Viruses". Diagnostic Microbiology and Infectious Disease. 104 (1): 115747. doi:10.1016/j.diagmicrobio.2022.115747. ISSN 0732-8893. PMC 9217632. PMID 35843112.
- ^ "Nevada State Public Health Laboratory detects new COVID-19 strain B.1.1.7 in Nevada". University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine. Retrieved 2022-06-27.
- ^ Pereira, Sydney (2021-03-31). "How Coronavirus Variants Are Tracked: A Tour Inside NYC's Genome Labs". Gothamist. Retrieved 2022-06-27.
- ^ "New county tool touted as game changer in fight against COVID-19". Santa Rosa Press Democrat. 2021-07-14. Retrieved 2022-06-27.
- ^ Bahl, Andrew. "COVID-19 variants are taking hold nationally. How prepared is Kansas to cope?". The Topeka Capital-Journal. Retrieved 2022-06-27.
- ^ "Food safety tester Clear Labs raises $60M to chase COVID-19 variants". FierceBiotech. Retrieved 2021-07-25.
- ^ "AOAC Certification" (PDF). December 2, 2019. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
- ^ "Clear Labs Automated NGS Technology Platform (Clear Safety™) Approved by USDA's National Poultry Improvement Plan for Salmonella Detection". PRWeb. Retrieved 2022-06-27.