Cytocybernetics

Cytocybernetics, founded in 2013, operates within the biotechnology sector, focusing on cellular electrophysiology to enhance the pharmaceutical drug development pipeline. The company was established as a spin-off from the University at Buffalo by two of its professors, Glenna Bett, Ph.D., and Randall Rasmusson, Ph.D. Their academic backgrounds in physiology and biophysics led them to identify a need for a tool that could mature heart cells for more reliable drug testing, which prompted the creation of the company and its core technology.

The primary product offered is the Cybercyte, a plug-and-play dynamic clamp system. This device integrates electronics with individual cells to test how new medicines affect cellular electrical activity. A key application involves delivering a missing electrical charge (IK1) to immature heart muscle cells derived from induced pluripotent stem cells. This process matures the cells, transforming them from a spontaneously beating state to a quiescent one that responds to external stimuli, which is more representative of adult ventricular cells. This allows for more accurate screening of pharmaceuticals for potentially fatal cardiac side effects. The technology has since expanded to be applicable to neurons for studying the effects of drugs developed for neurological disorders like epilepsy and Parkinson's disease.

The business model is twofold. Cytocybernetics sells its Cybercyte system to research institutions and pharmaceutical companies, and it also operates as a Contract Research Organization (CRO). The CRO services include FDA-mandated drug safety screening, custom electrophysiology studies, and computational modeling and analysis. By providing a more reliable method for preclinical screening, the company aims to help its clients reduce the significant time and costs associated with drug development by identifying non-viable drug candidates earlier.

Keywords: cellular electrophysiology, dynamic clamp, drug discovery, drug safety screening, cardiac arrhythmia, biotechnology, contract research organization, CRO, iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes, neuronal drug development, preclinical trials, ion channel, Cybercyte, neuropharmacology, cardiac safety, electrophysiology services, biophysics, toxicology screening, high-throughput screening, stem cell technology, patch clamp