Aushon BioSystems

Founded in 2003, Aushon BioSystems carved a niche in the life sciences sector by developing and providing microarray technologies for protein biomarker measurement and analysis. The company was established by Pete Honkanen, who transitioned from CEO to Chief Operating Officer in 2012 to focus on strengthening the development and operations teams as the company geared up for significant growth. Throughout its history, Aushon raised approximately $42 million in funding over several rounds, with key investors including North Bridge Venture Partners and Foundation Medical Partners. A significant milestone occurred in 2009 when Aushon acquired the SearchLight® Protein Array business from Thermo Fisher Scientific, a move that expanded its consumable product offerings to over 300 items. The journey culminated in its acquisition by Quanterix in January 2018.

Aushon BioSystems operates in the discovery tools segment of the healthcare industry, serving a global client base that includes leading pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology firms, contract research organizations (CROs), and academic institutions. The company's business model centered on providing a comprehensive suite of products and services for biomarker discovery and analysis. This included direct sales of its platforms, consumable assay kits, and offering specialized laboratory services for biomarker testing. By catering to researchers and clinicians, Aushon enabled the acceleration of preclinical and clinical research, aiming to improve productivity and lower costs.

The company's core offering was the Cira™ platform, a multiplex immunoassay system designed for protein biomarker discovery, development, and analysis. The Cira platform was engineered to deliver the sensitivity and reproducibility of singleplex ELISA but in a multiplexed format, which allows for the parallel analysis of multiple biomarkers. This system comprises the Cirascan™ imaging system, which captures high-resolution images, and the Cirasoft™ software for precise data analysis. A key benefit of the platform was its ability to measure low-abundance proteins, even at femtogram/mL levels, with a wide dynamic range and a total assay time of under three hours. This capability allowed researchers to investigate minute changes in biomarkers, such as cytokines, which was previously difficult with other methods, thereby advancing research in areas like immunotherapy and diagnostics.

Keywords: protein biomarker analysis, multiplex immunoassay, microarray technology, life science research, drug discovery, clinical diagnostics, Cira platform, biomarker discovery, immunoassay services, preclinical research, clinical research, microarray printing, proteomics, quantitative protein detection, biomarker testing, contract research organization services, pharmaceutical biotechnology, ultrasensitive assays, cytokine analysis, SearchLight Protein Array