Capture Bioscience Technology Published in Nature Biomedical Engineering
Demonstrating a Breakthrough in High-Throughput Immune Profiling
Capture Bioscience, a leader in innovative diagnostic technologies, announced that its core Beads by Time-Of-Flight (B-TOF) platform has been published in Nature Biomedical Engineering. The study, “High-throughput multiplexed serology via the mass-spectrometric analysis of isotopically barcoded beads”, Nat. Biomed. Eng 9, 1117–1128 (2025) was led by Capture Bioscience co-founders in collaboration with Stanford University and other institutions. The peer-reviewed publication provides scientific validation of the scalable immune-profiling technology that underpins Capture Bioscience’s platform.
A Breakthrough in Immune System Monitoring
B-TOF integrates isotopically barcoded microbeads with time-of-flight mass spectrometry, enabling ultra-high-throughput antibody detection. Using this platform, researchers measured IgG and IgM responses to multiple SARS-CoV-2 proteins across hundreds of samples—completing tens of thousands of tests within a single reaction. The method requires only nanoliter-scale sample volumes, delivers precise and reproducible results, and shows strong concordance with clinical assays while revealing variant-specific immune signatures.
Expanding the Frontiers of Diagnostic Scalability
Conventional serological assays measure one antigen per test, limiting throughput and cost-efficiency. The approach detailed in Nature Biomedical Engineering overcomes these constraints by combining isotopic multiplexing with bead-based serology, enabling comprehensive immune profiling at population scale. Capture Bioscience continues to advance the B-TOF platform for applications in vaccine monitoring, epidemiological studies, and decentralized diagnostic testing.
Leadership Perspective
“We’re incredibly proud to see the foundational science behind our B-TOF platform recognized in Nature Biomedical Engineering,” said David McIlwain, PhD, CEO and Co-Founder of Capture Bioscience. “This publication establishes the scientific foundation for our mission—to make immune system monitoring scalable, accessible, and clinically impactful.”
Looking Ahead
Building on this milestone, Capture Bioscience is expanding B-TOF development to include broader pathogen and vaccine panels, additional sample types suitable for point-of-care testing, and collaborative clinical validation studies. These efforts aim to translate this innovation into real-world diagnostic and surveillance solutions.
About Capture Bioscience
Capture Bioscience develops advanced diagnostic technologies to address global public health challenges. Through highly multiplexed bead-based serology, the company enables scalable, high-precision immune profiling—delivering solutions that are accurate, accessible, and adaptable for both individual care and population-level monitoring.
Contact:
David McIlwain, PhD - CEO
mcilwain@capturebioscience.com
+1 (650) 427-0783
Capture Bioscience Announces $749,999 in BARDA Funding to Advance Beads by Time-Of-Flight (B-TOF) Technology
Capture Bioscience, a pioneering company in innovative diagnostic technologies, has been awarded a contract worth $749,999 by the Division of Research, Innovation, and Ventures (DRIVe) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), to further develop its Beads by Time-Of-Flight (B-TOF) technology. This funding will enable Capture Bioscience to continue establishing B-TOF’s capabilities towards commercialization for high-throughput multiplexed immune profiling, with applications to respiratory viruses and other pathogen-specific antibodies.
The funding will support the continued development of B-TOF, which uses bead-based serology combined with advanced mass spectrometry to provide comprehensive, immune profiling. The technology will expand its application to assess immune responses to a wide range of respiratory pathogens and refine new reagents and sample types for clinical and at-home sampling, enabling scalable and accessible diagnostics.
“Our B-TOF platform combines the power of bead-based serology with cutting-edge mass spectrometry, offering unmatched scalability and precision,” said David McIlwain, PhD, CEO and Co-Founder of Capture Bioscience. “This funding represents an important step toward enhancing public health preparedness by providing cost-effective and rapid diagnostic solutions that can be used for individual healthcare decisions as well as large-scale population monitoring.”
The B-TOF platform’s ability to assess multiple immune responses simultaneously addresses a critical gap in current diagnostics, which often rely on single-pathogen assays. With the capacity to process thousands of tests per assay, B-TOF significantly reduces costs, increases throughput, and accelerates immune profiling. The impact of this project will be profound, advancing vaccine efficacy studies, clinical decision-making, and global public health strategies.
About Capture Bioscience
Capture Bioscience is dedicated to advancing diagnostic technology to address global public health challenges. By leveraging advanced research and development, the company is pioneering new methods to assess immune responses and infectious disease dynamics. Capture Bioscience’s solutions are designed to be highly accurate, scalable, and accessible to diverse populations.
Contact:
David McIlwain, PhD - CEO
mcilwain@capturebioscience.com
+1 (650) 427-0783