The company expects to have a commercial product by mid-year, and Martin says initial applications will likely come in drug research. But for the longer term, one killer app stands out. Instead of using a quantum dot to tag a biomolecule by binding to it, the scientists aim to build assays for genetic analysis on the surface of the beads. The researchers attach a particular sequence of DNA to the surface of each type of bead. Without a blockbuster product in the immediate future, the company is in a vulnerable stage common to many startups.
Every opportunity has a time window.
We may be successful in three years, but if someone has come up with an alternative in two years, the train will have already left the station. Manian says the company has milestones. If it will take two years, you immediately need to look for alternatives or a safety net. It has to result in real-world applications. This sense of urgency in developing uses for the nanoparticles has drawn some of the best and brightest young quantum-dot scientists to the company.