In a lab demonstration that feels part science fiction and part molecular dance, a long strand of protein coils tightly around a tiny tube. Its atoms glow in shades of green, black, and gray. From above, a colorful ribbon-like structure-yellow, purple, and magenta-floats into view. It is a protease, an enzyme meant to break proteins apart.
The enzyme makes contact and slices the protein. A chemical reaction takes place.
Then something unexpected happens: the nanotube’s light goes out.
That sudden darkness signals a change.
By measuring when and how that light fades, scientists can track enzyme activity precisely. This approach is faster, simpler, and involves fewer steps than current lab tests. This straightforward idea is at the center of Zymosense, a new startup that believes nanoscale sensors can lead to a new era in biochemical measurement.
The company labels itself “The Nanoassay Company,” but its goals go far beyond this name. Zymosense is working to develop technology from the lab of Nigel Reuel, a professor of interdisciplinary engineering at Iowa State University. It is focusing on the overlap of nanotechnology, biology, and industrial efficiency.
The Moment That Sparked a Startup
Like many deep-tech initiatives, Zymosense started with a question rather than a product plan.
Shortly after arriving at Iowa State University in 2016, Reuel challenged one of his first doctoral students: What if there was a new way to measure enzyme activity?
Reuel was familiar with industry challenges. After earning his advanced degrees at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, he worked at DuPont as a research investigator and later as a technology scout. His job was to spot innovations that could lead to new business opportunities.
Much of DuPont’s work involved enzymes-biological catalysts that speed up chemical reactions without being consumed. Enzymes are crucial to life, playing roles in digestion, disease treatment, metabolism, and cell repair. They are also vital in industrial processes, from drug development to food production.
Despite their importance, measuring enzyme activity remained slow, labor-intensive, and pricey.
“In industry, complexity equals time,” Reuel often says. “And time equals money.”
When he entered academia, he brought a practical concern: enzyme tests had not significantly evolved, even as enzyme engineering advanced.
Why Enzymes Matter More Than Ever
Enzymes are often called the invisible workers of biology. Without them, life would stop. Reactions that would take years without enzymes can happen in milliseconds with them.
Their impact goes far beyond the human body.
Today, enzymes are essential in:
- Biotechnology, driving gene editing and protein synthesis
- Pharmaceutical development, enabling quicker drug screening
- Medical diagnostics, where enzyme activity indicates disease
- Food production, including fermentation and processing
- Consumer products, like cold-water detergents that clean effectively without heat
The detergent example is particularly striking. Modern cold-water detergents rely on engineered enzymes to break down stains, which reduces energy use and environmental impact.
Yet behind every enzyme-based innovation lies a measurement challenge: how do you quickly, reliably, and affordably measure an enzyme’s effectiveness?
A Nanotube and a “What If?”
Nathaniel Kallmyer, a new doctoral student in Reuel’s group, tackled this question.
“What if you placed a protein on the surface of a nanotube and introduced an enzyme?” Reuel asked.
Carbon nanotubes-cylindrical structures made of carbon atoms-have impressive optical properties. Under certain conditions, they fluoresce. Reuel had experience with fluorescent sensors during his studies and suspected they could be adapted for this use.
Kallmyer decided to test the idea.
The result surprised even him.
“When we tried it, it worked immediately,” he recalls. “It worked the first time.”
When an enzyme interacted with the protein wrapped around the nanotube, the fluorescence changed. As the enzyme cleaved the protein, the nanotube’s light dimmed or disappeared.
That optical change could be detected and measured.
The experiment revealed something significant: a functioning biosensor that transformed enzyme activity into an optical signal.
Faster, Simpler, and Scalable
Traditional enzyme tests often require many reagents, lengthy preparation, and indirect measurement methods. Zymosense’s nanosensors aim to simplify this process dramatically.
According to internal testing, nanosensor-based assays can:
- Deliver results up to 62% faster
- Require about half the steps of conventional methods
- Reduce reagent complexity
- Scale more easily for high-throughput screening
Instead of mixing chemicals and waiting for secondary reactions, researchers can observe enzyme behavior directly in real time.
However, early success in the lab did not mean the work was done.
“We still had to understand why it worked, how to fine-tune it for different enzymes, and how to make it reliable,” Reuel says. “Then came the hardest part-turning a lab breakthrough into something industry can actually use.”
From Research to Reality
The transition from academic discovery to commercial product took years.
As the research progressed, Iowa State University’s research foundation began filing patent applications related to the nanosensors and their use in enzyme testing. The first filings started in 2018, and a U.S. patent was granted in 2020 for optical nanosensors designed for studying hydrolytic enzymes.
In 2021, Reuel and Kallmyer formally founded Zymosense to bring the technology to market. The university licensed the intellectual property to the company in 2022.
This move placed Zymosense within Iowa State’s startup ecosystem, which offered early support through entrepreneurship programs, commercialization workshops, and mentorship networks.
Kallmyer earned his doctorate in 2021 and joined the company full-time as co-founder and chief technology officer.
Building a Company Around Trillion-Scale Materials
Visit Zymosense’s lab at the Iowa State University Research Park, and the technology’s scale becomes clear.
The company’s CEO, Scott Nelson, often shows off the product by holding a small vial filled with a grayish liquid.
“You’ll never hold something like this again,” he says. “There are a trillion single-walled carbon nanotubes in here.”
Each vial contains nanosensors suspended in liquid, functionalized with specific protein substrates. When enzymes engage with those substrates, the nanotubes respond optically.
It’s molecular precision, ready for practical use.
Nelson brings a different background to the company. An Iowa State graduate, his career includes roles in large companies like General Motors and multiple startups. He met Reuel through mentorship programs and joined Zymosense to lead its commercialization strategy.
Funding the Leap from Lab to Market
Deep-tech startups often face challenges when moving from research to revenue. Zymosense has managed this transition with a mix of public funding, private investments, and institutional support.
The company has raised about $850,000 through:
- Federal Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grants
- Awards from the Iowa Economic Development Authority
- University-affiliated innovation programs
Additionally, Zymosense has secured support from five private investors.
This funding has allowed the company to grow to five full-time employees, with two technical advisors, while refining its product line.
Nelson describes the company as an example of how academic innovation can move smoothly into the market with the right support systems in place.
Preparing for Commercial Launch
Zymosense plans to launch its first commercial nanosensor products in early 2026.
Each typical offering will include:
- 5 milliliters of nanosensor solution
- Priced at about $499 per bottle
- Capable of performing up to 2,000 individual tests
Target customers include biotechnology companies, pharmaceutical developers, academic research labs, and industrial enzyme makers.
Instead of offering a complex instrument, Zymosense is selling a consumable that fits into existing lab workflows—a choice designed to reduce adoption barriers.
The “Age of Enzymes”
On the company’s website, Zymosense makes a strong claim: “The future of biochemical sensing arrives in 2026.”
This statement reflects a larger industry shift. As enzyme engineering advances, the bottleneck is no longer the design but the measurement. Scientists can create enzymes faster than they can evaluate them.
Zymosense believes its nanosensors can help fill this gap.
Enzyme optimization, quality control, and screening all depend on accurate activity data. Faster feedback means quicker innovation.
Industries that could benefit include:
- Drug discovery pipelines needing rapid enzyme screening
- Food and agriculture companies improving processing enzymes
- Biofuel developers focusing on catalytic efficiency
- Diagnostics firms tracking enzymatic biomarkers
In this way, Zymosense is not just offering a tool—it is selling time.
Innovation Born from a Real Need
For Reuel, the company’s path confirms a belief he shares with his students in a course on deep-tech ventures.
“All good innovation comes in response to a real problem,” he says.
In this case, the problem was not abstract. It was the slow, costly, and complicated reality of enzyme measurement—a challenge faced by industries that depend on enzymes.
By shrinking that problem to the nanoscale, Zymosense may have discovered a way to expand possibilities in biotechnology and beyond.
As enzymes continue to influence medicine, manufacturing, and sustainability, the ability to clearly, quickly, and affordably see their actions could be transformative.
Sometimes, the clearest signal comes when the light goes out.
