An ongoing commitment to groundbreaking research.

Building on our deep academic roots, InBio places a strong emphasis on sound scientific research. By engaging in active collaborations with both academia and industry over the past 25 years, InBio has developed an unblemished history of scientific integrity, subject-matter expertise, and a well-earned reputation for thought leadership. InBio’s 140+ scientific publications are testament to the focus on advancing technologies in asthma and allergy.

Thanks to this research focus, InBio is one of only a few commercial companies to receive a prestigious National Institute of Health (NIH) R01 grant. Grants from the NIH, as well as the European Union, government agencies and research foundations, support a range of research projects.

Read about some of InBio’s recent and notable efforts. Contact InBio to discuss any research needs.

Dr. Anna Pomés’ research has been supported by an R01 grant AI077653 from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) since 2009. The aim is to analyze epitopes associated with the IgE repertoire, by determining the structures of major mite and cockroach allergens and allergen-antibody complexes using X-ray crystallography.

Through this research, the structure of antibody binding epitopes is defined and analyzed by site-directed mutagenesis. Mutants are analyzed for T cell responses in mite or cockroach allergic patients. Recently, the first structures of allergens in complex with human IgE antibody constructs have been determined. The overall goal of this effort is to develop hypoallergenic variants of allergens that may be used in new forms of allergen immunotherapy.

Research is also being done to develop molecular diagnostics to measure IgE antibody binding to specific cockroach allergens, as well as the analysis of B and T cell reactivity to cockroach allergens in collaboration with Prof. Alexandro Sette of the La Jolla Institute for Immunology. This research was the basis for a collaboration with the Inner City Asthma Consortium to analyze B cell responses during a cockroach immunotherapy trial (CRITICAL).

InBio collaborated in these studies with structural biologists Drs. Alex Wlodawer, Alla Gustchina and Mi Li at the National Cancer Institute; Dr. Wladek Minor at the University of Virginia; Dr. Maksymilian Chruszcz at the University of South Carolina; and Drs. Geoff Mueller and Lars Pedersen at the National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences. We also collaborate with Dr. Scott A. Smith at Vanderbilt University Medical Center for development of human IgE monoclonal antibodies, and Dr. Judith Woodfolk at the Asthma and Allergic Diseases Center, University of Virginia, on studies of allergen-specific T cell responses in patients with asthma. 

Contact Dr. Anna Pomés for additional information.

InBio is the market leader in assays for measuring environmental exposure to allergens in homes, schools and workplaces. Our research in this area is focused on practical applications to support indoor air quality and industrial hygiene.

This research led to the development of a single test that can measure exposure to the most common indoor allergens, using InBio’s exclusive MARIA® technology. New assays are being developed through a continuous R&D process, relying on purified allergen standards to harmonize allergen measurements. InBio has also worked with European regulatory authorities to develop assays for inclusion in the European Pharmacopoeia.

Contact Stephanie Filep for additional information.

InBio drew on extensive environmental testing expertise to develop Apollo, a user-friendly air sampler that can be deployed in a variety of indoor environments to efficiently measure airborne allergen exposure. Apollo intuitive design draws air across a proprietary filter which efficiently—and at ~40 decibels, quietly—captures airborne allergens.

study has shown that with its enhanced collection efficiency, Apollo is superior at collecting airborne allergens compared to traditional methods such as passive samplers and IOM pumps. In longitudinal sampling, Apollo continually collected airborne allergens for seven days without reaching saturation.

Apollo represents the next generation of air samplers, enabling valuable assessments of personal allergen exposure in homes or in the workplace.

Contact Ross Yarham for additional information.

InBio is applying CRISPR gene editing to delete Fel d 1 from cat cells—an approach that could ultimately be used to develop hypoallergenic cats.

Fel d 1 is the cat allergen of choice for this type of research, as it accounts for 60-90% of anti-cat IgE. InBio has done extensive work to identify conserved regions of the Fel d 1 genes; these serve as target sequences for in vitro feasibility studies demonstrating successful CRISPR editing of the allergen. InBio scientists are also investigating Fel d 1 and homologous sequences across all cats, both domesticated and wild, to gain new insight into the potential function and evolution of the allergen.

Contact Dr. Nicole Brackett for additional information.

InBio’s extensive research on food allergens focuses on measuring allergens of known clinical significance (the ‘active ingredients’) using assays that can be fully standardized to harmonize allergen measurements worldwide.

MARIA® for Foods measures up to 17 major food allergens simultaneously, including all allergens that are regulated in the US, Europe and Japan. MARIA for Foods has been used to assess the allergen content of early introduction foods and to assess environmental exposure to foods in homes and schools. This approach is complemented by ELISA 2.0 assays for food allergens, which are used to formulate therapeutic products in pre-clinical studies for regulatory purposes.

InBio’s molecular approach uses Mass Spectrometry to analyze food allergens in processed foods and other complex matrices.

Contact Stephanie Filep for additional information.

InBio is actively involved in research on hIgE mAb to indoor and food allergens. These projects encompass localization of allergenic epitopes, immunoassay development, biologic activity and manufacture of standardized reagents for use in allergy diagnostics.

The hIgE mAb are being validated by total and specific IgE measurements, SDS-PAGE, immunoblotting and basophil mediator release assays. Multiple non-overlapping epitopes have been recognized by hIgE mAb to major allergens, including Fel d 1, Der p 2 and Ara h 2.

Contact Dr. Nicole Brackett for additional information.

InBio developed a rapid whole blood T cell test as part of an Innovate UK grant for assessment of vaccine or viral induced T cell response to SARS-CoV-2.
For individuals exposed to SARS-CoV-2, protective antibody responses may begin to wane a few months after exposure; measuring T cell responses with reliable and accurate T cell assays may be an important complement to COVID-19 diagnostic testing and vaccine development.

Existing virus specific T cell tests have been difficult to standardize and require specific knowledge and equipment, which presents a significant barrier for large-scale, effective testing. The InBio simple T cell test aims to break these barriers.
Initial trials show that the T cell test correlates with PCR and antibody responses and that the test can be used to monitor changes in T cell responses after vaccination. Through an SBRI grant, the test is being further optimized for easy implementation, enabling high-throughput testing of COVID-19 T cell immunity. The test is currently being used in a clinical setting in collaboration with one of the NHS trust foundations to monitor vaccine-induced T cell responses in clinically vulnerable cohorts.

InBio is also a partner on an ACCELERATE grant awarded to Cardiff University to develop novel adenoviral vector platforms with low seroprevalence in the human population. InBio is evaluating the innate and adaptive immune responses induced by a panel of novel human adenoviral vectors and vector pseudotypes, via measurement of multiple panels of cytokines and chemokines. Learn more here.

Contact Dr. Maria Oliver for additional information.

Financial Conflict of Interest Policy
InBio has developed a Financial Conflict of Interest Policy (FCOI) in accordance with Federal and NIH requirements for Public Health Service funded research (42 CFR Part 50 Subpart F). This policy promotes objectivity in research and includes requirements for training of investigators, monitoring FCOI, reporting to NIH and ensuring compliance. If you have any questions about this policy, please contact Dr. Anna Pomés.

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