Services

Scientific equipment available for hire, supported by professional training.

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Based in Bristol within the Science Creates St Philips incubator, Carbometrics has established three state-of-the-art labs. Our R&D journey, encompassing sensor development and drug discovery projects (as Ziylo), has allowed us to build a vast range of competencies in-house across various fields of chemistry, including physical, organic, polymer, material, and analytical. The multidisciplinary nature of medical device development has further expanded our expertise to include biochemistry, physics, optoelectronic devices, medical devices, and mechanical engineering. We also have specific experience with surface characterisation (AFM/SEM), sample/device sterilisation, sterile assembly and fluidics

Since our founding in 2018, we have leveraged our in-house expertise and resources to collaborate with other life science businesses, helping them overcome their R&D challenges. Our service offerings are designed to cater to each unique enquiry. Most equipment is rentable by the hour, with the option to include training from our team of experienced scientists and industry experts. Alternatively, our team can perform custom experiments as a service.

Whether you are interested in accessing our equipment and facilities or engaging us for bespoke R&D services, we’d love to hear from you.

Scientist doing an experiment in a lab setting

Expertise

We have specific and extensive expertise in:

  • Organic, analytical, materials and polymer chemistry

  • Bioconjugation and purification of complex molecules (macromolecules, peptides, and oligonucleotides)

  • Immobilisation of small molecules to surfaces, polymers, and resins

  • Photo-physical characterisation of fluorophores and phosphors

  • Studying molecular binding and biophysical interactions through various techniques such as NMR spectroscopy, Isothermal Titration Calorimetry, UV-Visible spectroscopy, and fluorescence

  • Creation of bespoke binding assays using fluorescence-based and electrochemical-based techniques (FRET and Cyclic Voltammetry)

  • Accelerated ageing and long-term in vitro testing of molecules and materials designed for in vivo use

See our case studies below for details of some of the projects we have worked on. We look forward to partnering with you to achieve your R&D goals.

Speciality chemicals

Through our pioneering R&D, we have created a number of specialty chemicals and building blocks that have widespread application in in vivo imaging, fluorescence microscopy, medical devices, and therapeutics. For example:

  1. Ultra-Stable Red-Emitting Dyes
    We have developed chemically and photophysically stable, water-soluble red-emitting dyes (excitation 620-700 nm, emission >700 nm) that exhibit low protein binding. These dyes are designed for applications requiring long-lasting, reliable fluorescence, making them ideal for advanced imaging techniques.

  2. Hydrolytically and Oxidatively Stable Linkers
    Our expertise extends to the creation of extremely stable linkers that facilitate efficient and simple bioconjugation to macromolecules. These linkers ensure that dye attachment remains intact, even under harsh hydrolytic or oxidative conditions, providing durability in demanding biomedical environments.

  3. Customizable Hydrophilic Polymers
    We can offer customizable and reproducible small-batch hydrophilic polymers tailored for biomedical applications. These polymers are ideal for use in medical devices and therapeutic platforms, providing flexibility and precision in research and development.

Interested in speciality chemicals? Please get in touch via our enquiry form below

List of equipment for hire

    • MPLC - Biotage Isolera One Flash Chromatography System (Reverse and normal phase)

    • HPLC-MS - Agilent 1260/1100 LCMS (Reverse phase: C8, C18, Biphenyl, F5, Oligonucleotide and chiral columns; Normal phase: Available on request)

    • Preparative HPLC - Gilson Verity (Reverse phase: C18 preparative, Biphenyl semi-prep columns)

    • Multi-wavelength Preparative SEC/FPLC - ÄKTA Pure (190-700 nm) with inline pH monitoring

    • Preparative SEC - ÄKTA Start

    • Analytical SEC - Agilent 1260 Infinity II GPC-SEC with RID and dual angle LSD

    • SDS-PAGE - Bio-Rad Mini-PROTEAN Tetra Cell

    • NMR - Jeol ECX-400 (400 MHz) spectrometer (inc. but not limited to 1H, 2H, 13C, 15N, 19F, 31P, 17O, 10B, 11B)

    • IR - Agilent Cary 630 FTIR 

    • Fluorescence/Absorbance - Horiba Duetta Fluorescence and Absorbance Spectrometer

    • Fluorescence Lifetime - Horiba DeltaFlex TCSPC/MCS Fluorescence Lifetime System

    • Fluorescence intensity (incl. FRET) - BMG Labtech CLARIOstar Plus microplate reader

    • UV/vis absorbance - BMG Labtech CLARIOstar Plus microplate reader

    • HPLC-MS - Agilent 1260/1100 HPLC with single quadrupole MSD

    • GC-MS - Available on request

    • High-resolution (accurate) MS - Available on request

    • MALDI-TOF - Available on request

    • Fluorescence Microscopy - Olympus CKX53 Inverted Microscope (dual band FITC/TxRed and Cy5 filters)

    • AFM/SEM/TEM - Available on request

    • Bio-layer Inteferometry (BLI) / Label-free affinity / Binding kinetics / Concentration analysis - Octet N1 BLI

    • Isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) - Malvern MicroCal VP-ITC

    • Ducted fume cupboards - For standard work with hazardous substances, fully compliant with BS EN 14175 and BB88

    • DLS - Available on request

    • Viscometer/Rheometer - RheoSense microVISC with Temperature Controller (VROC)

    • High-temperature Furnace - Nabertherm LE 1/11 Muffle Furnace (max 1100 °C)

    • Ball mill - Fritsch P6 Planetary Ball Mill

    • 3D Printer - Bambu A1 Mini (range of filaments available e.g. PLA, PLA+, translucent PETG)

    • Data processing, interpretation and report writing (Expert Assistance)

Enquiry form

During 2018-2021 we worked with Novo Nordisk, a global leader in diabetes care, to develop a glucose-sensitive artificial insulin through a research collaboration. Leveraging our expertise and glucose binding molecule (GBM) technology, we contributed to the creation of a ground-breaking new insulin that responds to changes in blood glucose levels, a significant step forward in diabetes treatment. Read more about our collaboration using the links below.

Novo Nordisk

Case Studies

“We believe the glucose binding molecules discovered by the Ziylo team together with Novo Nordisk world-class insulin capabilities have the potential to lead to the development of glucose responsive insulins which we hope can remove the risk of hypoglycemia and ensure optimal glucose control for people with diabetes”

Marcus Schindler

SVP of global drug discovery

Novo Nordisk

PyroScience GmbH

PyroScience is one of the world's leading manufacturers of innovative optical pH, oxygen, and temperature sensor technology for industrial and scientific applications. We are currently working together under a research collaboration agreement to develop the world’s first optical glucose sensor for using in bioprocess and cell culture applications.

“For many years we were looking for an optical glucose sensor solution. Existing concepts were not really feasible for reliable usage in industrial applications. The glucose binding molecule (GBM) technology from Carbometrics will be a game changer. Combined with the expertise from PyroScience, this partnership has great potential to deliver the first reliable optical glucose sensor for bioprocessing and cell culture applications.”

Dr Roland Thar

CEO and Co-founder

PyroScience GmbH

Argonaute RNA are pioneering an innovative siRNA platform that uses a novel method of stabilising the siRNA. They are developing RNAi-based therapeutics for a variety of applications. We provided synthetic and analytical chemistry services to aid them in their development of bespoke small molecule-siRNA bioconjugates.

Argonaute RNA

Rosa Biotech is an AI-driven biosensing and diagnostics company developing an array-based differential sensing platform for early detection of disease. We worked with Rosa on an Innovate UK funded project to develop electrochemical probes for their differential sensing platform. Our tailored synthetic molecules helped to enhance the sensitivity and selectivity of their innovative sensor technology.

Rosa Biotech

Epinal is developing a handheld breathalyser to detect if a user is under the influence of narcotics. We provide analytical services to Epinal in order to validate their current biosensors and equipment for the roadside detection of narcotics in breath, helping to tackle the global growing problem of drug-driving.

Epinal