How we makeTB glow
FluoTB is a phenotypic test powered by engineered bacteriophages. It turns an invisible infection into a clear fluorescent signal — and answers questions other tests can't.
Bacteriophages: bacteria hunters.
A bacteriophage is a virus that infects a single, specific bacterium — nothing else.
We engineer phages that target Mycobacterium tuberculosis to glow only when the bacteria are alive, so the readout reports viability, not just presence.
The process
From sample to result.
A respiratory sample is processed with standard lab methods, incubated with our reagents, then fixed for safe fluorescence reading — even up to 10 days later.
- 01DecontaminationCompeting flora is cleared.PNB48–96 h
- 02IncubationDrugs added in parallel reveal resistance.RIF48–96 h
- 03InfectionSample meets phage reagents.PBS24–48 h
- 04FixationFixed — safe to handle and store.I/MOX12 h
- 05ReadingLive bacilli glow under the microscope.READup to +10 d
One test, multiple answers.
Because the read-out is phenotypic and viability-based, a single FluoTB run delivers what usually takes several methods.
01
Is it TB?
FluoTB can differentiate M. tuberculosis strains from Non-Tuberculous mycobacteria.
02
Is it drug-resistant?
Parallel drug wells show resistance directly in the signal.
03
How severe is the infection?
Signal intensity tracks bacterial load in the sample.
04
Are the bacteria alive?
Only living bacteria fluoresce — true viability, not DNA.
05
Is the treatment working?
Repeat readings track whether therapy is working.
Sample
Respiratory
Standard sputum, no special collection.
Read-out
Fluorescence microscopy
Stable to read for up to 10 days after fixation.
Safety
Fixed & inactivated
Safe to handle and store in low-resource labs.
Top performance in every key feature.
Against culture, phenotypic and genotypic testing, FluoTB leads on every capability that matters — combining the low cost of microscopy, the speed of molecular tests and the clinical depth of culture.
| Capability | Culture | Phenotypic automated test | Genotypic test | FluoTB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | Low | Medium | High | Low |
| Time to result | Slow | Slow | Fast | Fast |
| Drug-resistance | Good | Good | Partial | Good |
| Other mycobacteria | Good | Partial | None | Best |
| Treatment monitoring | Slow | Partial | None | Best |
Cost
- Culture
- Low
- Phenotypic automated test
- Medium
- Genotypic test
- High
- FluoTB
- Low
Time to result
- Culture
- Slow
- Phenotypic automated test
- Slow
- Genotypic test
- Fast
- FluoTB
- Fast
Drug-resistance
- Culture
- Good
- Phenotypic automated test
- Good
- Genotypic test
- Partial
- FluoTB
- Good
Other mycobacteria
- Culture
- Good
- Phenotypic automated test
- Partial
- Genotypic test
- None
- FluoTB
- Best
Treatment monitoring
- Culture
- Slow
- Phenotypic automated test
- Partial
- Genotypic test
- None
- FluoTB
- Best
Run FluoTB in your lab.
We share detailed performance, regulatory status and clinical evidence with partners under NDA.