By Kathleen Berger, Executive Producer of Science and Technology

Few brothers are lucky enough to share a bond that’s truly, scientific! And now, the accomplished Cirrito Brothers, Tom and John, can share their talents in a research lab of their own for true collaboration. Their mutual business interests are taking shape through their roles with Varro Life Sciences. Varro is developing innovative technologies that prevent the transmission of infectious diseases and detect a variety of airborne threats in real-time.

“We have a biosensor platform that was invented by John that can detect pathogens in aerosols which are the tiny droplets that are released when we breathe or talk in the air,” said Tom Cirrito, PhD, CEO and Co-Founder of Varro Life Sciences.

The company’s bio-detection platform combines microbiology, aerosol engineering, and advanced electronics. Tom said Varro’s medical devices can rapidly detect airborne pathogens including the flu, COVID, and RSV. The company is using a nanobody-based electrochemical biosensor platform for rapid detection of aerosolized pathogens.

“The biosensor that John has developed, that we are developing at Varro, is called a micro immune electrode, MIE for short,” said Tom Cirrito. “The MIE is the biosensor that is inside, it’s the secret sauce if you will, inside of the breath-based diagnostic and the air biodetector.”

“We can detect viruses, we can detect bacteria, we can detect fungus, all depending on what we put on the surface of that electrode, all at the exact same time. We can detect dozens of pathogens at the same time,” said John Cirrito, PhD, scientific co-founder of Varro Life Sciences and associate professor of neurology at WashU Medicine.

The ability to detect pathogens with breath tests and indoor air, through Varro’s Pathogen Air Biodetector, all started with Dr. John Cirrito’s collaboration with co-inventors at Washington University in St. Louis. And now, Varro is getting a great start in St. Louis

“Varro raised $20 million,” said Tom Cirrito. “And with that 20 million, we’ve initiated some of the design and engineering work around commercial devices. We are building laboratories, both a manufacturing facility along with a R&D facility.”

John Cirroito said the company’s technology can even be used in the fight against what could be next pandemic, preventing it from happening. There are also military applications for threat detection.

“With the indoor air quality monitor, you can do it for bioterror threats, you can do it for anthrax,” said John.

But first, the company is expanding and building a team to accomplish all that’s possible. The Cirrito brothers joined forces behind the construction of the new lab and manufacturing space inside one of the Cortex Innovation District buildings.

“To do it with my brother, that’s invaluable,” said Tom.

“It’s great to do something meaningful and it’s also fun to do it with your bother,” said John.

The grand opening of Varro’s facility is coming soon this summer.

Visit the Varro Life Sciences website at varrobio.com.