A focused approach has paid off for febit biotech GmbH. Febit biotech was founded in 2005 after disagreements between investors led to the closing of febit AG in 2004. Febit AG’s intellectual property, production technology, product line and name were purchased by former investors to create febit biotech. Febit is focused on two main application areas for the Geniom biochip, its microfluidic microarray technology: sample preparation for microRNA (miRNA) profiling and for targeted resequencing (see IBO 2/15/09). The Geniom Biochip is composed of eight microfluidic channels and eight separate microarrays. The chip’s microfluidics allow for automatic and precise sample introduction, hybridization, washing, and elution or staining. The company has 75 employees in Heidelberg, Germany, and 25 in Lexington, Massachusetts.

Febit’s focus on specific research applications that are on the cusp of translating to diagnostic applications has given the small company stable footing in a competitive market. Peer Stähler, febit’s CSO, explained: “Our assessment was that this very small and special set of master genes, that’s what I call miRNAs, should find it much easier to penetrate diagnostic applications than the relatively heterogeneous and unstable mRNA sample spheres . . . and our strategy panned out.” By studying deregulated miRNA, which can act as pathogens in various diseases, researchers can determine specific miRNA expression patterns, or signatures, to identify these diseases for diagnostic purposes. Febit’s Geniom RT Analyzer performs sample prep for miRNA analysis prior to sequencing by automating Geniom Biochips’ sample loading, hybridization and temperature control. Febit’s courting of the miRNA market was in response to its competition, which dominated messenger RNA and protein-coding gene applications, and an expectation that miRNA profiling was quickly moving towards diagnostic applications.

Similarly, the company’s strategy for its targeted resequencing was to focus on applied research that was closely related to clinical and diagnostic applications. Febit’s HybSelector automates sample prep of Geniom Biochips for targeted resequencing. “Within the spectrum of sequence capture, we’re concentrating on well-defined clinically relevant sets of genes,” said Mr. Stähler. “This sets us apart from another big [basic research] segment, and that would be whole-exome sequence capture.” According to Mr. Stähler, the most active application area for febit is oncology, followed by neurological and agricultural biotech research.

Febit has also found success by offering services to researchers, which include miRNA profiling, sequence capture, sequencing and gene expression analysis. Mr. Stähler explained that molecular pathologists and clinical researchers are utilizing febit’s service offerings. “People [in these fields] often don’t run their own core facilities, and they’re not so much technology experts as those in other research areas would be. They require more outsourcing and services.” According to Mr. Stähler, febit’s service segment outperformed its instrument offerings by nearly a factor of two in 2009. He explained that future expansion plans will target febit’s services rather than its instrument business. Currently, the company’s most popular service is miRNA profiling.