Being the first to reach a breakthrough in your field of choice is exciting. But it is also hard. And commercial success is never guaranteed. Still, backing pioneers in science and technology is key to pushing evolution forward. This is the belief that drives Optikos® when we choose to support early-stage start-ups with their optics challenges.
One such example from our corporate past dates back fifteen years, when we found ourselves in discussion with a promising US start-up that was looking into next-generation sequencing (NGS). Back then, the famous Human Genome Project had already wrapped up. As a follow-up, a lot of researchers pointed out the next frontier was to push the boundaries of genome analysis by expanding both the quantity and diversity of sequencing technologies. In this exciting time for genomics, the start-up we ended up partnering with wanted to develop a single-molecule sequencing system—and they did, the first of its kind.
Why Advances in Genome Technology Matter
The market need for advanced genomics technology was huge. As mentioned in the 2009 article “Virtual terminator nucleotides for next-generation DNA sequencing”, “The first commercialized technologies required amplification of the template DNA prior to sequencing, but this can introduce a host of biases caused by differential behavior from many factors, making even representation or accurate quantitation of samples difficult. Single-molecule sequencing can eliminate biases introduced by amplification.” To progress towards a more objective and easy way of reading DNA samples, single-molecule sequencing was the answer to what wasn’t possible with more traditional approaches.
Lab-Made, but not Manufacturing-Ready
The technology was visionary. It employed a sequencing-by-synthesis (SBS) approach which allowed for massively parallel sequencing. This means that millions of DNA fragments could be sequenced at once, a feat previously unattainable. The device featured a sophisticated optical system, using lasers to detect fluorescently tagged nucleotides with remarkable precision. Its standout advantage was the high accuracy, low error rate it achieved. Additionally, the device required only minimal starting material, significantly enhancing research efficiency and accessibility.
The problem was that the device wasn’t suitable for manufacturing. Building just one unit took four months and required a team of highly skilled PhD scientists to do so—an approach that wasn’t viable for a company aiming for commercial success. That is why the genome sequencing team turned to Optikos with a crucial question: “Can you help make this solution manufacturable?”
Adding the Optikos Touch to a Promising Life Science Device
Our initial suggestion was to redesign the complex optical assembly with an emphasis on providing a deterministic and efficient manufacturing process. The customer wanted to avoid the cost and schedule impact of that effort. In the world of optics manufacturing, this kind of reaction is quite common. Often product creators want to bring a product to market as soon as possible even with design for manufacturing shortcomings. A consensual approach was developed to incrementally advance the manufacturability of the design while keeping the product introduction schedule.
The final framework functioned effectively under the original system constraints. With revisions to the initial construct, we developed the necessary tooling and alignment procedure to make things work. What we achieved amazed both the start-up team and us: we turned a four-month, intensive build-up into a one hundred and forty-three steps assembly that could be done by a technician over the course of five days. For the final qualification of the product, an engineer would come in on the sixth day to validate the unit. This entire procedure is what allowed the gene sequencing device to become manufacturable. Over time, Optikos produced over fifty devices for the first iteration of the new product, proving the success of the Optikos Design for Manufacturability (DMF) strategy.
At the Forefront of Life Science Innovation
Investing in something that is completely one-of-a-kind in the optics field can sometimes feel like a gamble. Especially with start-ups, their notoriously high failure rate often deters potential backers. However, when these teams succeed, they don’t just make a splash—they rewrite the rules of the entire industry. This was the case with the single-molecule sequencing system, something that Optikos helped to propel out into the world. Since its inception, more companies have picked up on the genomics technology and have commercialized it to such an extent that today, the global market for single-molecule real-time (SMRT) sequencing is valued at $3.43 billion (USD) in 2025, up from $3.15 billion (USD) in 2024.
The Optikos team is proud of being at the forefront of life science innovation, supporting pioneers on their way from ideation to manufacturability.
If your team has a life science solution that can benefit from the Optikos touch, make sure to reach out at Sales@Optikos.com.
