Fog City Bio

Overview

Fog City Bio is a specialized contract research organization (CRO) focused on immunoassay development, optimization, and characterization. Based at MBC BioLabs in the San Francisco Bay Area, the company works directly with biotech R&D teams to develop and validate protein quantitation assays, binding kinetics measurements, and cell-based functional assays.

Core Services

Immunoassay Development

• ELISA: Custom sandwich, competitive, and inhibition assays with optimization for specific sample matrices (serum, plasma, lysate, cell culture)
• Ultra-Sensitive Detection: Simoa (0.01–1 pg/mL), AlphaLISA (0.1–10 pg/mL), HTRF/TR-FRET (1–100 pg/mL) for rare biomarkers and low-abundance proteins
• Multiplex Platforms: Luminex xMAP (50-plex), MSD QuickPlex ECL (10-plex) for simultaneous quantitation of multiple analytes from limited sample volumes
• Assay Troubleshooting & Rescue: Rescue of commercial ELISA kits and development of fully custom assays

Binding & Kinetics Assays

• Antibody affinity (KD) and kinetics (kon/koff) determination
• Label-free methods: Spectral Shift (SpS), Malvern WAVEsystem (GCI), NanoTemper MST
• Epitope binning

Cell-Based Functional Assays

• Viability, proliferation, and cytotoxicity assays
• Immune cell function (activation, ADCC)
• ELISpot and cytokine secretion
• Seahorse XF Pro (OCR/ECAR) metabolic profiling
• xCELLigence RTCA (impedance-based live-cell analysis)
• High-content screening (Araceli Endeavor Ultra)

Assay Characterization & Validation

• Rigorous precision, linearity, and spike-recovery testing
• Matrix validation in client-specific sample types
• Parallelism and accuracy assessment

Technology Transfer & Documentation

• Handoff-ready protocols with full development reports and raw data
• Automation-ready workflows optimized for Opentrons Flex, Tecan Fluent, Gilson PLATEMASTER
• Machine-readable and human-readable protocol formats
• Scientific debrief calls and on-site training support

Operational Approach

Direct Scientist Engagement: Projects are led by a dedicated scientist rather than a project manager, eliminating handoffs and coordination delays.

Rapid Workflow: Five-step process from initial fit call through final report and handoff (10-min fit call → CDA & materials → rapid DoE screen → optimize & finalize → report & handoff).

Automation-Driven Development: Uses Opentrons Flex and other liquid handlers to define robust, digital protocols that minimize operator variability and ensure reproducible tech transfer.

Equipment & Infrastructure: State-of-the-art, manufacturer-maintained equipment including Simoa SR-X, Luminex INTELLIFLEX, MSD QuickPlex, Tecan and BioTek plate readers, Cytation imaging, Seahorse XF Pro, xCELLigence RTCA, and advanced imaging systems (Araceli Endeavor Ultra, EVOS M7000, Refeyn TwoMP, confocal microscopy).

Regulatory & Compliance

All work is conducted under strict IP confidentiality (CDA). Services are offered for research use only (RUO).