BACKEER Partner with us

Biosensing through light.

We develop optical fiber biosensors for sensitive, label-free detection of clinically relevant biomarkers.

From high-sensitivity single-mode fiber sensors to portable smartphone-read biosensing.

Explore our technology
Electron micrograph of the BACKEER ball resonator: a glass sphere formed on the tip of an optical fiber Sensing
microresonator Silica optical fiber
125 µm
Ball resonator · SEM ×130 · Nazarbayev University 100 µm
Developed within
  • Nazarbayev University, National Laboratory Astana
  • Jas Ventures
Recognized by
  • CAI Invention Award 2025
  • HKUST-SINO Silver Award 2025

The clinical need

Early detection can change outcomes.

Biomarkers can provide valuable information about disease, but translating sensitive biomarker detection into practical clinical tools remains challenging.

80% Early stage Survival rate
30% Late stage Survival rate

Survival rate, early vs late-stage oral cancer.[1]

3–4 weeksto get diagnostic results today
from $300per diagnosis in Kazakhstan, from $2,000 in the USA

  • Clinically relevant biomarkers

    Biomarkers can reveal disease-associated changes before clinical symptoms appear.

  • Translation challenges

    Highly sensitive biomarker detection often relies on specialized instrumentation and laboratory infrastructure.

  • Need for more accessible tools

    There is a need for complementary approaches that could bring reliable biomarker measurement closer to where samples are collected.

BACKEER is developing complementary optical biosensing technologies to address different parts of this challenge.

  1. [1] Franzmann E.J., Donovan M.J., Expert Review of Molecular Diagnostics 18 (2018) 837–844.
Our technology

Two platforms. One sensing principle.

From high-sensitivity fiber biosensing to portable smartphone-read detection.

SMF biosensors

High-sensitivity fiber biosensing

Functionalized single-mode silica fiber sensors for highly sensitive, label-free detection of clinically relevant biomarkers.

Optical interrogator connected by optical fibers to a fiber sensor in a sample tube Interrogator Fiber sensor in sample
  • 125 µm fiberMiniaturized
  • Label-freeOptical detection
  • High sensitivityQuantitative results
  • Clinical-sampletesting
Explore SMF platform

POF + smartphone

Portable smartphone-read biosensing

Functionalized plastic optical fiber sensors using a smartphone as the optical source, detector and analysis interface.

Diagram of the all-fiber system: smartphone in a holder, optical fiber looping to the sample solution
BACKEER app dashboard showing sensor intensity over time
  • PortableLightweight setup
  • Smartphone-readLight source + camera
  • Label-freeOptical detection
  • Point-of-carepotential
Explore POF platform

A biomarker binds. The light changes. We measure it.

An antibody-coated optical fiber tip captures the target biomarker, and the reflected light shifts. No labels, no lengthy lab processing.

  1. 1 mIt starts in our lab, with standard optical fiber.
  2. 1 cmA CO₂ laser splicer melts its tip into a sphere.
  3. 100 µmUnder the electron microscope: a ~490 µm glass sphere.
  4. 10 µmAntibodies on its surface catch one biomarker, such as CD44.
  5. 10 nmBinding changes the refractive index at the surface.
  6. λThe reflected spectrum shifts. We measure the shift.
BACKEER lab bench with the laser splicer and analysis computer
1 mIt starts in our lab, with standard optical fiber.
Inside the CO2 laser splicer: two fiber holders marked 125 aligned around the fiber
1 cmA CO₂ laser splicer melts the fiber tip into a sphere.
Electron micrograph of the sphere with its 485 to 492 micrometre diameter marked
100 µmUnder the electron microscope: a ~490 µm glass sphere on a 125 µm fiber.
Diagram: CD44 antibodies on the sphere capture CD44-expressing cancer cells
10 µmAntibodies on its surface catch one biomarker, such as CD44 on cancer cells.
Diagram of antibodies immobilized on the fiber surface
10 nmWhen the biomarker binds, the refractive index at the surface changes.
Measured reflection spectra shifting as LCN1 concentration rises
λThe reflected spectrum shifts, and we measure that shift.

$35–50 per test.

Target cost, compared with $100–550 for current methods.

BACKEER biosensor
$35–50
Solid-phase ligation assay
$100–150
OncAlert
$200–220
ELISA kits
$300–550

Per-test cost. BACKEER figure is a target at production scale; competitor figures from BACKEER's market analysis.

Built to detect what matters.

Bar chart and box plot: CD44 sensor response higher in breast cancer patient serum than in healthy serum
CD44 in serum: breast cancer vs healthy
Platform
SMF (SDI)
Key result
175 aM · clinical serum and urine
Publication
ACS Sensors (accepted)

From lab to clinic.

  • Kazakhstan patent granted

    Patent No. 9677 · 2024

  • 5+ letters of intent from clinics

    Clinical partners

  • Ethics approval for IL‑6/IL‑8 studies

    IREC certificate

  • HKSTP pre-incubation, Hong Kong

    Hong Kong Science & Technology Parks

  • US patent filed

  • 2 pilots starting

  • Clinical studies underway

Backed by 20+ peer-reviewed publications.

  1. 2026A graphene oxide-functionalized fiber optic biosensor for breast cancer biomarker detection: towards developing a highly sensitive multi-fluid diagnostic platformACS Sensors · accepted, in pressIn press
  2. 2025Parallel fiber-optic semi-distributed biosensor for detection of IL-6 and IL-8 cancer biomarkers in saliva at femtomolar limitOptics & Laser Technology 189, 113139DOI
  3. 2025Sensitive detection of kidney injury biomarker (KIM1) in urine samples using an optical fiber semi-distributed interferometer biosensorTalanta 295, 128348DOI
  4. 2025Label-free multiplexed detection of diabetic retinopathy biomarkers using fiber optic biosensors: towards lab-in-the-tearOptics and Lasers in Engineering 189, 108943DOI
  5. 2022Ultra-wide, attomolar-level limit detection of CD44 biomarker with a silanized optical fiber biosensorBiosensors and Bioelectronics 208, 114217DOI

Looking for clinical partners, distributors and investors.

Partner with us info@backeer.science