An Interview with Dr. Amelia Zellander on the Vital Role of Optikos in Validating Synthetic Cornea Performance

We often talk about technology as a tool, but its true power lies in its capacity to enhance people’s lives. When devices become the bridge to overcome major obstacles, they fulfill their highest purpose. That is what our life sciences partner, BioLattice Ophthalmics, Inc., has set out to achieve with its dedicated team. They are leveraging advanced bioprinting to restore sight to millions through their flagship product CorneaClear™.  

BioLattice Ophthalmics, Inc. is a Philadelphia-based biotech startup founded and led by Dr. Amelia Zellander, Chief Scientific Officer, and Linda Alunkal, MBA, Chief Executive Officer. The company was part of the inaugural HiveBio cohort and won the 2025 Startup of the Year award at the BioLabs for Advanced Therapeutics Philadelphia Investor Day. What makes the business even more unique is that they are a women-, minority-, and veteran-owned company that raised approximately $2.0 million in funding for their mission of ending corneal blindness by addressing the global shortage of donor corneal tissue.

We sat down with Dr. Amelia Zellander to discuss their journey as a life science disruptor, our metrology partnership that supports their early research and development (R&D) efforts, and the optics implications of their innovative cornea proposal.

Q: Dr. Zellander, thank you for making the time to talk about the literal optics of your incredible product, the CorneaClear™.

Amelia Zellander (AZ): Well, this is one of my favorite topics of conversation, thank you for hosting this.

Q: Perfect. To start, could you walk us through the mission behind BioLattice and how this journey began?

AZ: Absolutely. Our mission is to expand patient access to solutions that restore, repair, and rebuild damaged corneal tissue. This journey started with my personal interest in tissue engineering during my PhD research. I was creating biomaterials specifically designed for corneal replacement and was driven by the realization that the current donor model is broken. We are aiming to build a business that provides a scalable, off-the-shelf alternative to donor tissue, which would ultimately restore sight to millions who are currently left waiting.

Hear Dr. Amelia Zellander share her journey from military service to bioengineering and the inspiration behind her mission to develop synthetic corneas.

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Video courtesy of SOSV (formerly IndieBio).

Q: This is a very noble cause, but also one with many challenges. For example, what were the first steps you needed to take to get your product’s viability confirmed from an optical perspective?

AZ: The most critical step was making sure that the optically transparent portion of our device would actually permit clear vision. We needed to verify the dioptric power and the curvature of our synthetic corneas. Without that data, we couldn’t move forward. We knew we needed a partner with deep expertise in optical metrology to guide us through this. And we ended up picking Optikos for the job.

Q: What were you looking for in your metrology partner?

AZ: We were looking for professionalism and technical competence. In the life sciences space, you cannot afford ambiguity. And especially as a startup, you need to get every detail right about your product from the get-go. So, you’d want a business partner who understands the stakes, the timeline, and has the technical depth to deliver accurate, actionable data.

Q: How did your team decide on Optikos as that metrology partner?

AZ: It came down to our introductory meetings. The team at Optikos demonstrated a clear understanding of the complexities involved. They didn’t just say “yes” because the idea sounded great; they actually dove deep and asked the right questions. Because of those initial conversations, the fit felt right. So, I gave the collaboration a chance, and it turned out to be the right decision.

Q: Can you tell us about the specific tests you ran with the Optikos team?

AZ: The primary focus was measuring the dioptric power of our synthetic corneas. This is the metric that tells us how well the device focuses light.

Q: And actually, this is where things get interesting. We know that testing a cornea isn’t like testing a standard glass lens.

AZ: Exactly. The team we worked with at Optikos recognized that the testing environment would have to be something unique. They had to build a semi-aqueous environment, meaning half of it is in air and half in water. This mimics the actual environment of the human eye. Traditional interferometry struggles in these conditions, but Optikos managed to get the dioptric power and the radii of curvature via microscopy. The data they provided was exactly what we needed to validate our design.

Q: Speaking of validation, for many startups, there is a fear that some companies might gloss over similar projects due to perceived market and validation volatility. Did you feel supported by the Optikos team in a way that helped your overall goals?

AZ: Yes, definitely. Especially in terms of optical performance data, the team provided exactly what we needed without hesitation. They treated our project with the same level of seriousness as if we were a large-scale enterprise. And that kind of support is crucial for a startup. It allows us to focus on our core work while knowing the metrology aspect gets taken care of in a very professional manner.

Q: Was there a specific aspect of the collaboration or the validation process that you found to be more complex?

AZ: Honestly, nothing has been particularly complex in terms of the process itself, thanks to their expertise. They made the difficult parts like the fluid dynamics of the test environment seem straightforward. What also helped was the clear communication channels established between us and them. So, things felt like they were running smoothly.

Q: Finally, what is the next major milestone for BioLattice?

AZ: Our immediate next step is completing a formal animal study. This is the critical bridge that will position us to initiate a clinical trial. Once we have that data, we can move closer to bringing CorneaClear™ to the patients who need it most.

Q: Thank you, Dr. Zellander. It’s inspiring to see how precision engineering and biological innovation are coming together to solve a global health challenge within your company.

AZ: Thank you.

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