The investment in ZOMP, an early-stage start-up based in Cambridge, UK, which is developing a 3D imaging flow cytometer that enables very accurate quantitative imaging of millions of cells in a single experiment, adds to the life science portfolio of ZEISS Ventures.
The investment in ZOMP, an early-stage start-up based in Cambridge, UK, which is developing a 3D imaging flow cytometer that enables very accurate quantitative imaging of millions of cells in a single experiment, adds to the life science portfolio of ZEISS Ventures.
The way cells are analyzed and sorted is being revolutionized by ZOMP, a spinoff from the University of Cambridge, which is fusing whole-cell 3D imaging with flow cytometry in a new instrument. This invention uses a microlens array to collect fluorescence and quickly measure several 2D views of the same cell. It is based on Zomp’s LightGate technology. By deconvoluting the series of photos into a 3D perspective of the cell, these data provide an instantaneous 3D snapshot of the cell as it moves through an adjustable light sheet.
Co-leading the £2 million seed fundraising round are BGF, Foresight WAE Technology, and ZEISS Ventures. The money will be used by ZOMP to create a minimal viable product and find the best possible consumer uses.
Due to its capacity to record not only binary information about cells but also morphological and spatial information at the single cell level, ZOMP’s cutting-edge technology has the potential to upend the current flow cytometry market. In the future, novel research in life science and biotechnology applications will be made possible by image-based cell sorting. According to Gerrit Schulte, head of ZEISS Ventures, “ZEISS Ventures is delighted to assist ZOMP’s journey not only with financial resources but also with our expertise in imaging and image processing.
According to CEO Prof. Steven Lee, “Companies should do more than just make money; they should excite people about the future.” Traditionally, the three main pillars of genomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics have been used to define cellular biology. The way objects are arranged in 3D space, in our opinion, is the fourth. For this reason, the three cofounders of ZOMP are overjoyed to be collaborating with ZEISS to develop the tools that will enable our customers to view within cells at the population scale.
ZOMP’s CTO, Dr. Kevin O’Holleran, discusses why the collaboration with ZEISS is such a perfect fit. “I’ve always been amazed by the high-end photographic devices from ZEISS and how user-friendly they are. We rapidly discovered that ZEISS and ZOMP are a great match because to ZOMP’s cutting-edge imaging flow cytometry technology and ZEISS’s experience in bioimaging product development. We’re thrilled about our collaboration and eager to advance our technology as a ZEISS Ventures portfolio company.
The company’s odd name was chosen because, as cofounder and CCO Gillies Kleboe explains, “We wanted a name that could eventually become a verb, like ‘Google’ or ‘Shazam.'” It’s interesting to note that ZOMP is also the name of a hue that resembles the classic Cambridge Blue quite a bit. Researchers who require intricate imaging of a large number of cells may remark, “Just ZOMP it!” in a few years.
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