Dalton Bioanalytics

Throughout the past few decades, the life sciences industry has witnessed an explosion of different individual omics studies (e.g., genomics, transcriptomics, epigenetics, metagenomics, proteomics, metabolomics, lipidomics). For instance, the Human Genome Project has uncovered many secrets of our genome, increasing our understanding of our evolution, diseases, and conditions. Other omics data reveal the current processes in our body, leading to more up-to-date actionable information. However, while these newer omics studies are gaining momentum, they are primarily assessed separately rather than from an integrated perspective. Multiomics, which is aimed at combining two or more omics data sets, has sprung into the spotlight and is positioned to revolutionize the field of biomedicine. It allows interdisciplinary data integration and enables a more complete interpretation of the complexity of human health and diseases.

Dalton Bioanalytics (“Dalton”) is a bioanalytical company unlocking access to the wealth of multiomics information available in blood with its proprietary mass spectrometry-based technology. Its Omni-MS® platform is designed to bring the most comprehensive biochemical analysis of humans in a single analysis, accelerating the transition to preventative and precision healthcare. Their platform can profile proteins, lipids, metabolites, and other small molecules in a single assay, generating single shot multiomics data.

The Market

According to IBIS World Industry Report, the US clinical laboratory market is approximately $29.7 billion, and the US biomarker R&D market is around $10.7 billion. With the advent of high-throughput technologies, multiomics is becoming more accessible and transforming these markets. Based on Illumina, Cell Biologist Market Research, and Digital Science, 66% of life science research incorporates multiomics, and multiomics grant funding has increased 48% YOY on average since 2012. However, there are challenges and pain points in data integration and interpretation. Traditionally, to assess one sample from a multiomics perspective, a researcher must split the sample into multiple parts, send them to several specialized laboratories for separate omics analyses, and then combine all those individual data for an integrated multiomic analysis. The entire process involves the risks of introducing sample artifacts, data wrangling, and data heterogeneity, not to mention its high cost and technical difficulties. Dalton aims to transform and facilitate this process by providing as much biochemical omics information in a single process as possible.

The Ideation

The idea of Dalton came to Seungjun and his co-founder Austin Quach when they both experienced challenges in healthcare data sharing and data generation. In his first company, Seungjun has seen challenges and problems with the boundaries of data in the life science and bioanalytics industry. Austin experienced the inefficiency of how multiomics data is generated. With a vision to accelerate the world’s transition to preventative healthcare, Seungjun determined that it was time to start his second company generating comprehensive biological data. At that time, he met Austin, who invented a technology that provides broad biochemical analysis of human plasma in a single analysis. In 2019, Seungjun and Austin founded Dalton to empower researchers and doctors to save lives. With the help of the Anderson Accelerator and IndieBio, they commercialized their platform in 2 years, working closely with researchers, doctors, and companies.

The Business Model

Dalton’s proprietary one-shot multiomics platform was designed to bring all types of biochemical information about humans in one single concurrent analysis, profiling proteins, lipids, electrolytes, metabolites, drugs, and environmental chemicals. The process starts with the preparation of the sample assay. Shortly after digestion, cleanup, and precipitation of the sample assay, biofluids would go through the advanced liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) based platform for data collection. The data would be later processed and analyzed with bioinformatic algorithms to provide one comprehensive analytical report, including biochemical identification, relative quantification, and statistical analysis with data visualization. The entire process is highly automated, from sample preparation and data collection to data analysis, the only manual steps involving transporting the samples from machine to machine.

Dalton adopts a contract research organization (CRO) model offering bioanalytic services to biopharma, diagnostic companies, and research institutions. By leveraging its multiomics data analysis, its customers can facilitate the process of biomarker discovery, bioprocessing optimization, and drug development. Compared to traditional multiomics analysis, Dalton uses its innovative method to provide additional biochemical information at reduced expense and difficulty. They are using revenue and data generated in the research market to support researchers and academic institutions in finding novel biomarkers for common rare diseases. In the future, they want to enter the clinical laboratory market with their complex blood test panels.

The Team

Seungjun and Austin have brought unique and complementary skills to Dalton. With a BA degree in Business Economics from UCLA, Seungjun has been working and developing AI software and data processing expertise in the past few years. In addition, he is a UCLA Biodesign fellow starting in 2021. Dalton’s CSO, Austin, received his Ph.D. degree in Human Genetics from UCLA conducting research into the determinants of epigenetic aging in humans and bioanalytical mass spectrometry.

Looking Forward

Dalton’s mission is to digitize blood for the future of human health and to accelerate the world’s transition to preventative healthcare. In the short term, Dalton is working tirelessly to improve its advanced platform and build partnerships with biopharma companies and research institutions. In the long run, the company plans to scale up and launch its clinical laboratory service. The business is about to fuel additional growth by raising an additional round of funds this summer.

If you’re interested in learning more about Dalton Bioanalytics, please visit https://www.daltonbioanalytics.com/ or feel free to reach out to Seungjun at seungjun.yeo@daltonbioanalytics.com.