Making the science of genetics and epigenetics accessible to all dog owners who have a genuine interest in their dog’s health and well-being, Prosper DNA can help owners determine appropriate strategies to enhance their dog’s wellness.
Prosper is the brainchild of researcher and dog lover Matteo Pellegrini, professor of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology at UCLA and entrepreneur Richard Hamilton. The two connected over the work that Pellegrini’s lab was accomplishing in epigenetics, not just for pets but for people as well.
Genetic testing services for humans and companion animals is a $4B market growing at approximately 11% per year. Epigenetic and microbiome testing are new market opportunities.
Pellegrini and Hamilton were not only interested in the science of aging but with a goal of using targeted high-throughput sequencing and proprietary databases to provide individualized health and wellness insights to their customers.
Prosper is currently marketing canine tests for genetics, epigenetics, and microbiome. Feline products are in prelaunch testing and will be marketed soon while human testing remains in development.
“We see the advantages of Prosper’s work, including our ability to provide unique health and wellness insights, at a low cost with rapid results,” said Hamilton.
Currently the Prosper K9 tests are collected via saliva samples from dogs. The dog breed test reveals not just the breed composition but also vital health and behavior traits through detailed genetic analysis. The oral microbiome test can give owners recommendations for optimal dental care.
“We have found that using our DNA methylation-based age estimator we can predict the age of a dog within one year,” said Pellegrini. “ProsperK9 truly combines scientific precision with a passion for dogs.”
The science behind Prosper’s method has been published in several studies, including the journal Epigenetics on “the effects of age, sex, weight, and breed on canid methylomes.”
As a growing startup company, Prosper has been able to take advantage of the resources and technology provided by the Magnify incubator at CNSI. Centrally located at UCLA’s Court of Sciences, Magnify helps startups like Prosper succeed by accelerating their access to facilities and increasing their capital efficiency.
“What distinguishes us from other genetics testing companies is that we are not only using the latest and greatest technology available, but we are also able to do the technical part without outsourcing,” said Hamilton.
Magnify companies have access to state-of-the-art scientific equipment and advanced instrumentation through CNSI’s Technology Centers, a network of mentors, a community of entrepreneurs, and organized partnering meetings; all geared to increase the likelihood of success.
Hamilton added, “We rely on very expensive instrumentation, and we’ve been able to do that without capital investment. It would be so difficult to do this without Magnify and UCLA. It has dramatically lowered the barriers for our company.”
In addition to technology and instrumentation Magnify provides access to talent as well.
“The access to student interns has been a huge positive,” said Pellegrini. “We have been able to transition UCLA students into a very high-level research & development lab environment. They are working directly with a startup company and taking part in the research.”
Looking to the future Hamilton says Prosper is looking to manage their growth, focus on the K9 business, and look for additional opportunities in cats, humans and beyond.
“From a scientific perspective these tests on dogs can be done on cats and humans. What we are truly doing is studying the science of aging and looking to ultimately see if we can find epigenetic factors and influence the rate of aging.”