The news: Monod Bio raised $25 million to develop molecular biosensors that light up when they bind their target. The sensors can be designed to detect molecules linked to disease and they also have potential for industrial applications.
The origins: Monod’s protein-based sensors are designed with “Rosetta” protein engineering software developed at the University of Washington’s Institute for Protein Design, which has been spinning out startups over the past few years. Monod and other IPD spinouts have collectively raised more than $1 billion.