User:Mark Bajus at Clear Labs/draft
| File:Clear Labs Logo.png | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Genomics |
| Founded | 2014 |
| Founders | Mahni Ghorashi and Sasan Amini |
| Headquarters | Menlo Park, California , USA |
Area served | Global |
Key people | Sasan Amini, CEO and Co-founder Mahni Ghorashi, CCO and Co-founder |
| Products | Genomics testing for food |
Number of employees | 35 (As of April 2016)[1] |
| Website | www |
Clear Labs is a private genomics testing company headquartered in Menlo Park, California. It sequences the DNA of food products to verify the food's ingredients, GMO status, or whether it is contaminated by harmful pathogens.[2][3][4] Clear Labs also produces a database of the genomic sequence of plants and animals commonly used in food and is used during product development to test the shelf life of different formulations.[4]
Clear Labs was founded by Mahni Ghorashi and Sasan Amini in 2014,[5] both of whom left their jobs at genomics companies to start Clear Labs.[6] They acquired $6.5 million in series A financing in 2015[5] and then initiated a Kickstarter campaign intending to raise an additional $100,000.[7][a] In 2017, the company closed a $16 million Series B funding round.[9][10][b]
Clear Labs has publicized various reports on the results of performing DNA testing on common food products. For example, the company found traces of meat in vegetarian burgers, traces of rat DNA in other meat patties, and more calories than the burgers were labeled for.[12][13] According to Vox, finding trace amounts of foreign DNA in food is normal and safe, but the report's findings on misleading consumers about calories and the vegetarian status of food were more concerning.[13]
Notes
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Kelly, Kevin (8 June 2017). "Biotech aims to eradicate food recalls". The Mercury News. Retrieved January 5, 2018.
- ^ Ossola, Alexandra. "A Genetic Database Will Identify What's Really In Our Food". Popular Science. Popular Science. Retrieved 12 October 2016.
- ^ "NGS Shows Meat DNA in Veggie Burgers". rapidmicrobiology.com. Rapid Test Methods Ltd. 17 May 2016. Retrieved 28 November 2016.
- ^ a b Schug, Debra (15 March 2017). "Evolving pathogen testing methods offer better, faster alternatives". Food Engineering. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
- ^ a b Buhr, Sarah (15 September 2015). "Clear Labs Aims To Be Google Search For GMOs In Packaged Food". techcrunch.com. AOL inc. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
- ^ Grant, Rebecca (23 October 2015). "The Company That Wants to Test Your Hot Dog's DNA". The Atlantic. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
- ^ Mott, Nathaniel (22 October 2015). "Clear Labs uses kickstarter to fund 'consumer reports' for food quality". gigaom.com. Knowingly Inc. Retrieved 27 November 2016.
- ^ "Clear Food: The World's First Molecular Food Guide by Clear Food". Kickstarter. November 21, 2015. Retrieved February 8, 2018.
- ^ Buhr, Sarah (13 December 2016). "Google Ventures-backed Clear Labs gets $13 million in Series B to nip food recalls in the bud". techcrunch.com. AOL inc. Retrieved 13 December 2016.
- ^ Salian, Isha (13 August 2017). "What's in my food? DNA sequencing, blockchain provide closer look". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
- ^ "Clear Labs Lands $16M to Improve Food Safety". Project NOSH. August 30, 2017. Retrieved January 31, 2018.
- ^ Kowitt, Beth. "Analysis of Burger Market Finds Unwanted Ingredients: Rat and Human DNA". Fortune. Fortune Magazine. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
- ^ a b Belluz, Julia (10 May 2016). "A new food safety test just found rat DNA in hamburger meat. Here's why that's good news". Vox.com. Vox Media. Retrieved 27 May 2016.