Tell us your matrix and your markers
Tell us what you are collecting, or what you would like to collect, along with the markers that matter and your cohort size. We will tell you which are realistically detectable in that matrix, whether a pilot is the right first step, and what the study will take. That reply comes within one working day.
Respiratory matrices are analytically difficult. We will tell you upfront what will and will not clear the limit of detection.
problem in Respiratory & pulmonary disease
Catch the biology earlier. Measure it closer to the lung.
Respiratory disease presents two linked biomarker problems.
Disease biology moves before conventional endpoints do
COPD and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis can progress silently until lung function is already impaired. Asthma phenotypes look similar clinically while responding very differently to treatment. Pulmonary nodules are common, and distinguishing which ones matter without invasive biopsy remains difficult.
The most informative signal is often not systemic
Blood tells you what has reached the circulation, and that is not always what is happening in the airway. Locally sampled proteins reveal inflammation, fibrosis and tissue remodelling at the site of disease, at concentrations that blood dilutes away.
The difficulty is that airway samples are small, dilute and analytically hostile, and the proteins that matter most sit at very low concentrations or need measuring across many targets simultaneously to become informative.
Sensitivity is what turns those signals into usable data.
how
Five ways to sample the respiratory tract
We work the length of the respiratory tract, from nose to alveolus, and each matrix answers a different question.
01
Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid
What it gives you
Direct access to the alveolar compartment. The reference sample for ILD, alveolitis and transplant surveillance.
Consider it when
You need the distal airway specifically, and a bronchoscopy is justified. Also for retrospective work on archived collections.
02
Sputum
What it gives you
The cellular and soluble signature of the airway, without bronchoscopy. Analysed neat.
Consider it when
Airway inflammation phenotyping in COPD, asthma, bronchiectasis and CF.
03
Exhaled breath condensate
What it gives you
Airway lining fluid, collected entirely non-invasively. Validated workflow on the PBM-Hale™ device, which we own.
Consider it when
Longitudinal monitoring, paediatric cohorts, exposure studies, or any design where repeat sampling matters more than depth.
04
Nasal lining fluid and nasal swabs
What it gives you
The upper airway mucosa, where allergen, virus and pollutant first meet the host.
Consider it when
Allergic rhinitis, viral challenge, mucosal vaccine work, and decentralised or paediatric designs.
05
Plasma and serum
What it gives you
Systemic signal, and the comparator for everything above.
Consider it when
Nearly always, alongside a local matrix. The difference between local and systemic is frequently the finding.
We run all five, so the recommendation follows your question.
We will also advise you when plasma alone will answer it, and save you the collection burden.
Applications
HOW IT WORKS
From discovery to clinical study
The practical detail
Turnaround
Two weeks from sample receipt, confirmed at quote. Feasibility pilots return faster
Quote
Sample confirmation
Matrices
Feasibility pilot
Cohort size
Quality framework
