BioFlyte: ABQ's BioFlyte announcers partnership with SoBran

Aug. 23-Albuquerque-based BioFlyte, a chemical and bioaerosol surveillance firm, is going to be taking its technology to the mail. This month, the Albuquerque firm announced a collaboration with SoBran, a company that works to protect its clients from mail-borne threats. Some of its clients include the high-profile government clients the National Institutes of Health and Department of Homeland Security, Fortune 500 companies and other classified customers. BioFlyte is a 4-year-old company that uses mass spectrometry to detect dangers, whether that be things like anthrax and fentanyl to virus that will cause the next pandemic. Todd Sickles, BioFlyte's CEO, said there are different types of threats the company aims to address. For example, he said, there are known threats, such as a if a terrorist wants to send a chemical agent to a victim through the mail. But there are also emerging threats. Those are threats that are not known or understood he said. "Many cases are not harmful, but it could be the next virus that causes a global pandemic," he said. The collaboration with SoBran will be done using BioFlyte's BioTOF z200 monitoring sensor. Working to try to detect possible threats in the mail creates an added challenge, Sickles said. It's not a complicated challenge: If the threat is within an envelope or box, it's harder to determine what it is, he said. "I am excited to incorporate this new technology into our screening process. It is imperative that we continually evaluate our processes and equipment to ensure we are screening for all known and emerging threats," said Adam Oliver, the director of operations at SoBran. "Keeping our clients safe is the priority." Sickles said the collaboration with SoBran is the latest milestone for BioFlyte, which he said expects to experience significant growth in the coming years. The company is looking to scale up manufacturing and grow its workforce. Sickles said that it currently has about 20 employees and it plans to grow that by 50% per year in the coming years. That will be done by adding sales and customer support. He said the company also wants to grow its presence in the Washington, D.C., area. Some of the its potential customers that it is looking to add to its client list are airports and jails. Airports could be targets for potential contaminants and jails need enhances mail screening. "Our technology is proven to deliver value through enhanced detection of life-threatening chemical and biological agents, all in one device," Sickles said. "We are excited to provide SoBran with a more comprehensive and powerful screening solution to protect their customer base and lower operating costs. "Our firms are committed to working together to further enhance our technology based on changing market requirements to protect against the evolving threat landscape within mail screening."