METAFORA Biosystems is pioneering a platform for the discovery, development and distribution of diagnostic tests that detect abnormalities in cellular energetics. Using proprietary reagents that quantify cellular nutrient transporters, coupled with powerful algorithms, the flow cytometry platform is able to detect abnormal nutrient consumption that may be the cause of diseases such as neurometabolic diseases, cancer or inflammatory disorders.
In June 2019, METAFORA and its partners INRIA and Université Paris-Saclay were awarded the first edition of the PhD Paris Region funding initiative. PhD Paris Region is a competitive funding instrument from Ile-de-France to support collaborative programs between academia and industry. This initiative has enabled the funding of three theses (two funded by the Ile-de-France Region and one CIFRE thesis), the result of in-depth collaboration with the partners.
METAflow is a flow cytometry data analysis software that guarantees high robustness in data segmentation, and features a user-friendly interface that is highly biologist-oriented. As a cloud-based software for automated multidimensional clustering of flow cytometry data, METAflow marks a dramatic advance over existing sub-optimal solutions, regardless of data processing skills.
METAFORA estimates that METAflow will enable tens of thousands of flow cytometrists to benefit from the power of an automated solution to obtain more objective data in a much shorter timeframe compared to tedious manual analysis, all in a collaborative digital platform. Whether they are beginners or advanced, users will be able to further exploit the increasingly voluminous and complex data generated by conventional, mass or spectral cytometry technologies.
In addition to its use in research, METAFORA is pursuing developments to make METAflow a solution that can be used in clinical diagnostics, with a clinical grade version intended for use in hospitals. This project is co-financed by the EIC Accelerator Program, initiated by the European Commission.