United in Curiosity

Dr. Kathrin Brenker

Founder Story!

I am a former optogenetics scientist and during my PhD, I struggled with the chronic lack of suitable illumination devices! I was the only opto-researcher in a otherwise hardcore immunology research group. So, I had to figure everything out by myself: Where do I get light sources? How much power do I need? Why do my cells die after illumination? How can I adapt light sources to different experimental setups?

Although a fun learning experience, it took forever until I was actually able to generate results for my thesis. Does every lab have to go through this tedious process of light assay development from scratch? 

So, I pitched this idea in front of some people, then some more people and finally had the confidence to write a startup grant for opto biolabs. It turned out many people were excited about optogenetics and how a small company from the black forest could have a global impact in this research area.

It was clear that I needed help for this project. A LOT of help. I still sometimes wonder why Luis decided to join opto biolabs and become my cofounder, but it was definitely the best thing that could have happened. We launched the pxONE and optoWELL, survived the pandemic, during which we developed a dozen more product ideas that we want to realize in the years to come.

With our products, we want to establish standards for optogenetic illumination and experimentation. Our customizable light devices enable software-controlled illumination output. You can compare – or even exchange – illumination protocols with your direct colleagues or your collaborator on a different continent. I also hope that our devices will make optogenetic research more accessible for smaller labs that don’t have years of experience building their own LED-devices.