BioCoder #12

Chapter 10. Digital Detection: Large-Scale Ambition Built on Micro-Scale Fluidics

Miroculus democratizes early cancer detection with an open research database and a digital microfluidic platform

Courtney Webster, MM DD, 2017

Early detection can completely change the trajectory of a cancer diagnosis. We all know by now that the earlier cancer is found, the better. Jorge Soto, the CTO of Miroculus, said in his 2014 TED talk, “Catching cancer early is the closest thing we have to a silver bullet cure against it.” When Soto formed a highly interdisciplinary team at Singularity University, they founded their company around this goal.

As cancer develops, it leaves a breadcrumb trail of mutation or disruption. If you are looking for a cancer diagnostic, there are a plethora of options to choose from. You can look at protein expression, DNA mutations, or different types of RNA (noncoding RNA, cRNA, etc.). As it develops, this cancer trail leaks into the bloodstream or urine, where it is easier to sample. When searching for the right diagnostic, you are typically looking for three attributes: Is it easy to get? Is it easy to detect? Is it reliable? Many researchers and companies, including Miroculus, believe that extracellular microRNAs (miRNAs) fit the bill. miRNAs are class of noncoding RNAs that regulate various cellular processes (like differentiation and replication). They make for an attractive diagnostic because they are small, stable, and present in blood and plasma.

The promise ...