Hartford Business Journal

27 HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | April 11, 2022 At A Glance Company: Arome Science | Industry: Biotechnology Top Executive: Alexey Melnik, CEO & Co-Founder | HQ: Farmington Company Website: arome-science.com | Phone Number: 860-300-8287 Tech 25 Arome Science CEO Alexey Melnik in his startup's Farmington lab within UConn's Technology Incubation Program. Benjamin Williams is the CEO of Manchester augmented reality provider Arsome Technology. Arome's non-targeted testing aims to uncover clues of human health By Norman Bell Hartford Business Journal Contributor T wo decades ago, the Human Genome Project unraveled the way DNA acts in building life. Now the American Gut Project is working to unravel the way microbes in the gut control the way we live. And a Farmington startup is at the center of the effort. In a small lab off Farmington Avenue, Arome Science is conducting what CEO Alexey Melnik describes as non-targeted biomarker discovery. Others in the marketplace do targeted testing, he explains, but Arome is focused on doing non-targeted testing. When a physician orders, say, a cholesterol test, a patient's blood is examined for certain characteristics. That's targeted discovery, Melnik explains. But that same blood sample yields an abundance of additional data that's not being reported. And some of that data could be quite important in diagnosing other conditions. Today, Arome is working on research projects for a number of large clients, including the top five pharmas. The work is important in helping understand how drugs are converted by the body. It's also helpful in pinpointing toxins in the body — from pesticides to Teflon — and informing drug development. The contract work provides the financial underpinnings of the self- funded Arome Science. But it's just a step toward a longer-term goal. Arome's main tool is the mass spectrometer, a powerful and expensive piece of lab equipment that analyzes a wide range of substances. It's had a starring role in a host of television procedural dramas, from CSI to NCIS. Now Melnik sees a path to giving consumers access to the technology for informing their own healthcare decisions. Melnik says that within as few as three years Arome could be doing work directly for consumers. The cost of analysis is coming down toward $100 per sample and progress is being made toward winning regulatory approval for such testing. It's all part of a burgeoning "right- to-test" movement that seeks to put the patient in the driver's seat on health decisions. And one of the focus areas is the balance of microbes in the human gut. Understanding that balance could hold the key to controlling food allergies, weight gain and a host of diseases. The Human Microbe Project (2007-2016) confirmed that human microbes are as unique as fingerprints. Since 2012, the American Gut Project has been seeking deeper understanding on how to manage microbes and their behavior in human health, including the influence of diet, lifestyle and disease. Within 10 years, Melnik predicts, a consumer could swallow a capsule that gathers data on gut microbes. Within 24 hours, Arome could generate a wide- ranging report that could advise healthcare decisions. Arome has its roots in San Diego. When one of the co-founders landed a job at UConn, Arome followed, and Melnik says the decision has worked out well. He describes the Connecticut ecosystem as a help in Arome's development, particularly access to facilities in UConn's biotech incubator. He says Arome also has found the local talent pool to be deep. The immediate hurdle is winning regulatory certification as a research-grade lab, Melnik says. Augmented reality firm Arsome Technology brings static objects to life By Norman Bell Hartford Business Journal Contributor W hen visitors to the New England Air Museum point their phones at the prototype BioSuit on display, they can get an idea of what it feels like to move within the outfit designed for missions to the moon and Mars. That experience is driven by augmented reality (AR) technology developed by Arsome Technology in Manchester. Similar technology lets visitors hear from Mark Twain when they point their iPad at the author's statue in the Hartford Public Library. And subscribers to Mystic Aquarium's "Animal Heroes" project can experience a day among marine life, also thanks to Arsome's technology. It's all just a start, says Benjamin Williams, CEO and co-founder. He points to development deals with the likes of Travelers Cos., Pfizer and the Childhood Prosperity Lab at Connecticut Children's in Hartford to demonstrate the range of uses for augmented and virtual reality (VR) technologies. The firm started with "a small loan" from his father, Williams explains, and has now grown into a self-funded venture that's in the process of splitting into separate service and funding arms. The service arm works with clients to implement the best technology and storytelling approach to reach the client's goal, while the funding arm is investing in promising companies developing new technologies. Williams' route to becoming an entrepreneur took him to Eastern Connecticut State University (ECSU) as an undergrad; UConn for his MBA; New York University for a master's in technology and innovation; and Harvard for a master's in international relations. He gives a lot of credit to David Oyanadel, a lecturer at ECSU who has become his co-founder at Arsome. The young CEO sees vast potential for AR/VR in learning but suspects a confluence of factors will slow deployment in public education. That's just one of several frustrations with the status quo. Entrepreneurship is a basic skill for life in the 21st century and should be taught at every level of the education system, he says. And then there's the matter of startup funding. "The government had no problem helping finance my education but where is everybody when I want to borrow $5,000 to start a company," he asks. Williams serves as a mentor through both CTNext and Connecticut Innovations, but Arsome received no funding from CI, he says, declining to elaborate. One of the firm's newer endeavors involves a subsidiary known as ARx. It is working with the Childhood Prosperity Lab at Connecticut Children's in Hartford on a healthcare literacy program. First up is a program that will allow a consumer to access details on drug interactions, side effects and warning signs by pointing a mobile phone at the drug container. The program identifies the drug and displays the data in augmented reality. The technology has broad potential in health care as well as corporate training applications, Williams says. The next hurdle, he says, is improving margins. He expects the firm to remain lean, pointing to a force of 60-plus staff, consultants and partners. But that doesn't mean small, he cautions. At A Glance Company: Arsome Technology | Industry: Technology Top Executive: Benjamin Williams, CEO & Co-Founder | HQ: Manchester Company Website: ARSOMETechnology.com | Phone Number: 860-304-7660 HBJ PHOTO | STEVE LASCHEVER HBJ FILE PHOTO

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