Cluster Stories: From Lab to Start-up – Tobias Groß on Making the Leap from Research to Application
The latest episode of the Cluster Stories video series features Tobias Groß – a young scientist who completed his doctoral research within the industrial environment of Actome GmbH and made a conscious decision to pursue a career in a technology-driven start-up. Today, he works at the interface of biochemistry, diagnostics and technology transfer – a prime example of the application-oriented innovation culture fostered within the nanodiag BW cluster.
Actome GmbH, a member of the nanodiag BW future cluster funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), has developed the PICO technology – a digital platform for highly sensitive and quantitative detection of proteins and their modifications. Antibodies labelled with oligonucleotides specifically bind to target molecules and trigger colour-coded reactions in microfluidically generated droplets. The resulting pattern enables precise, reference-free quantification.
“We can measure absolutely quantitatively, which is crucial – both for basic research and for diagnostics,” Groß explains. Within the nanodiag BW cluster, Actome plays a key role in technology transfer by translating research-driven innovations into market-ready products – such as diagnostic kits for the detection of epigenetic biomarkers like histone modifications.
Looking ahead, Groß sees great potential in combining PICO technology with nanopore-based readout methods – a concept that could set new standards in molecular diagnostics. What excites him most is the platform’s versatility: “We’re not limited to proteins – we can measure their interactions, modifications, and even extracellular vesicles. This opens up a wide range of possible applications.”
The full video is now available as part of the Cluster Stories series and offers compelling insights into a successful transition from scientific research to real-world application.
