It is common knowledge that DNA carries instructions that help living things grow, function, and respond to their surroundings. Karnataka-based Algorithmic Biologics takes inspiration from nature and asks a simple but powerful question: Can we program molecules to behave like computers?

Traditional computers use electronic circuits to process information and perform calculations. Molecular computing aims to do something similar using chemical reactions. 

By designing specific molecules and controlling how they interact, scientists can build systems that process information and follow instructions, much like a computer program.

For example, imagine a medical test that does more than simply detect a disease. It could be designed to detect multiple signals, combine the information, and produce a result based on specific conditions. Molecular computing could help make such intelligent tests possible.

Algorithmic Biologics is building the technology to turn chemical reactions into programmable systems. Its goal is to make it easier to design molecules that can perform increasingly complex tasks.

Frontier technology that could improve disease detection

Algorithmic Biologics wants to turn chemistry into something we can program, just as we program computers today.

Its current technology enables diagnostic tests to analyse hundreds of molecular biomarkers at once, addressing a major limitation in precision healthcare. Founded by Manoj, a leading researcher in DNA computing, and Hiran, who launched MedGenome’s US operations, the company recognised an important gap in precision medicine and saw an opportunity to use DNA computing to solve it.

Over the past two decades, genomics has advanced rapidly, allowing scientists to measure thousands of biological features. However, these advances have not translated into widespread clinical applications beyond areas such as oncology.

The problem is that knowing what a person’s biology looks like is not enough. Doctors also need tools to understand what is happening inside the body at a particular moment. This requires measuring multiple molecular biomarkers simultaneously.

Molecular diagnostics provides this crucial link between genomic information and medical decisions. Yet conventional diagnostic technologies are generally designed to measure only a small number of targets at a time.

Targeting proxy DNA molecules

Most molecular diagnostic tests work by amplifying target molecules, making them easier to detect. This approach becomes increasingly difficult as the number of targets grows. Multiple amplification reactions can interfere with one another, producing inaccurate results.

Algorithmic Biologics takes a different approach.

Instead of amplifying the original target molecules, its technology uses carefully designed chemical reactions to convert them into proxy DNA molecules. These proxies represent the original targets and have sequences selected by the company.

Because the proxy molecules share a standardised design, they can all be amplified using the same reaction. This avoids the need to develop a separate amplification system for every new diagnostic test.

The result is a modular platform that can be adapted to new sets of biomarkers without rebuilding the entire testing process.

According to the company’s estimates, the precision diagnostics industry faces a significant gap between the demand for new tests and its ability to develop them. Thousands of biomarkers are undergoing clinical validation, but only a fraction make it to market each year.

Traditional diagnostic assays can take several years and millions of dollars to develop, often with a high risk of failure.

Algorithmic Biologics aims to change this equation. The company reports that its platform can develop diagnostic tests covering hundreds of targets for less than $1 million, in under a year, with a success rate above 98%.

By combining DNA computing with molecular diagnostics, Algorithmic Biologics aims to make complex diagnostic tests easier to develop, helping bring the promise of precision medicine closer to everyday healthcare.

Unlocking a GPS layer

Algorithmic Biologics works with leading diagnostics, biopharma, and public health companies that pay to develop and license its technology. Current projects include breast cancer variants, minimal residual disease in cancer, antibiotic resistance in tuberculosis, microRNA, and single-cell multiomics. The company has filed seven patents across multiple geographies, three of which have been granted, covering its approach to developing highly multiplexed molecular diagnostics.

One partner, for example, previously needed 25 separate reactions to test for breast cancer variants in a sample. Algorithmic Biologics has reduced this to just one reaction, improving sensitivity, reducing sample requirements, and simplifying laboratory operations. More importantly, the partner can develop tests for new targets without changing its existing detection system. This could allow it to expand from developing only a few tests to launching as many as ten new tests a year.

The same approach could make tuberculosis testing more comprehensive and affordable. Detecting antibiotic resistance quickly is essential to choosing effective treatments and controlling the spread of drug-resistant tuberculosis. The company is developing a test for a public health agency that aims to assess resistance across all 16 antibiotics on the WHO list and 1,236 resistance-associated variants, using just two reactions. This could offer much broader coverage at a lower cost than existing solutions.

For diagnostic equipment manufacturers, using the same detection system across multiple tests also simplifies manufacturing and inventory management. They can produce standard components at greater scale while serving smaller, specialised markets economically.

Frontier technology such as this has the potential to transform India into a global leader in molecular diagnostics. By making complex diagnostic tests faster, cheaper, and easier to develop, this technology could help Indian companies move beyond basic testing to advanced, high-value healthcare solutions. 

The ability to test hundreds of biomarkers in a single assay could improve disease detection, cancer monitoring, and tuberculosis antibiotic resistance testing. Its modular platform could also help Indian manufacturers serve diverse markets at scale, including countries with limited healthcare resources. By combining India’s scientific talent, manufacturing capabilities, and cost advantages, this technology could expand access to precision medicine worldwide.