What PB Bioscience does

PB Bioscience Limited is a Newcastle University spinout founded in 2012 by Professor Mark Birch-Machin (molecular dermatology and mitochondrial DNA specialist) and Dr Georg Lietz (nutrigenomics). The company operates at the intersection of mitochondrial health and nutritional biology, offering scientifically validated testing services to the food, drink, health, and wellness industries. Its core technology combines mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) damage assessment via real-time PCR with whole-blood chemiluminescence assays to measure oxidative stress, positioning it as a more physiologically relevant alternative to standard cell-free antioxidant tests such as ORAC, TEAC, and FRAP.

The commercial product portfolio centres on B2B laboratory testing services — including an Antioxidant Potency Test, Cell Toxicity Test, Gene Expression Analysis, SILAC-based Quantitative Proteomics (delivered with Newcastle University's NUPPA), collaborative Antioxidant Development, and Nutritional Intervention Trials using dedicated human trial facilities. The company is also developing a consumer-facing Oxidative Stress Testing Device based on whole-blood chemiluminescence that enables individuals to assess their antioxidant status from a single drop of blood and identify personalised dietary interventions. Revenue is generated through professional services fees from industry clients and, once commercialised, hardware sales to consumers.

The company remains a small private entity (1–10 employees) with a single disclosed funding round of approximately $161,443 from Northstar Ventures in 2011. Its go-to-market leverages academic credibility, peer-reviewed publications, founder media presence, and content marketing rather than traditional sales infrastructure. Customer logos are not publicly disclosed; revenue is not reported.

Name

PB Bioscience

Legal name

PB Bioscience Limited

Website

https://pbbioscience.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

PB Bioscience is a Newcastle University spinout that provides B2B laboratory testing services — using mitochondrial DNA damage and chemiluminescence assays — to food, drink, health, and wellness companies for antioxidant product validation, and is developing a consumer-facing oxidative stress testing device.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nutraceutical Testing Services

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Testing Laboratories and Services (541380), Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro primary industry

Molecular & Genetic Testing (PCR/NGS/qPCR) (HLAGADAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Bioanalytical Testing (PK/ADA/NAb) (HLAGADAA)

Keywords

• Antioxidant potency testing
• Nutrigenomics services
• Oxidative stress testing
• Mitochondrial DNA analysis
• Nutritional intervention trials

Headquarters

HQ city

Newcastle Upon Tyne

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Industry Testing Services: Commercial laboratory testing services for food and drink companies to validate antioxidant claims, test product efficacy, and support health benefit claims with scientific evidence.
2. Consumer Antioxidant Testing Device: Consumer-facing testing device for individual antioxidant status optimization, allowing consumers to determine which antioxidants would successfully boost their cellular health.
3. Nutritional Intervention Trials: In vivo clinical testing services for approved compounds and nutritional products in healthy volunteers, including ADME determination using dedicated human intervention trial facilities.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

PB Bioscience provides laboratory testing services that use mitochondrial DNA damage as a biomarker of cellular oxidative stress to validate the potency and efficacy of antioxidant compounds and nutritional products. Its services are sold primarily to food, drink, and health and wellness industry clients to support health benefit claims, formulation development, and personalized nutrition interventions. The company is also developing a consumer-facing whole-blood chemiluminescence device for personal antioxidant status assessment.

Product overview

PB Bioscience offers a portfolio of B2B laboratory testing services for the food, drink, health, and wellness industries, centred on its core oxidative stress and antioxidant potency assessment technology. The core offerings include the Antioxidant Potency Test, Cell Toxicity Test, Gene Expression Analysis, Quantitative Proteomics (SILAC), Antioxidant Development, and Nutritional Intervention Trials. These services are provided to industry clients to test antioxidant capacity of products and ingredients. The company also developed a consumer-facing Oxidative Stress Testing Device based on whole-blood chemiluminescence assays. The unifying technology platform combines mitochondrial DNA damage assessment via real-time PCR with nutritional biology to deliver personalized nutrition insights.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Antioxidant Potency Test In vivo-style test that determines the potency of antioxidant compounds against oxidative stress inducers in an in vitro model, using mitochondrial DNA damage as a biomarker readout via real-time PCR assays. Provides superior physiological information compared to cell-free antioxidant tests (ORAC, TEAC, FRAP). Sold to food, drink, and health and wellness industry clients.
• Cell Toxicity Test Tests the effect of compounds or combinations of compounds on cell viability in in vitro models across human and non-human cell types, using appropriate cell viability assays including those that interact with mitochondrial metabolism. Sold to industry clients developing or validating antioxidant and nutritional products.
• Gene Expression Analysis Determines levels of mRNA transcript types using RT-PCR technology in desired cell culture models following treatment with antioxidant compounds, including RNA isolation, reverse transcription, and real-time methodology. Sold to industry clients for mechanism-of-action and efficacy studies.
• Antioxidant Development Collaborative development service working with companies to create improved single or optimal combinations of antioxidants for maximum synergistic value. Sold to health and wellness companies for formulation development.
• Quantitative Proteomics (SILAC) Mass spectrometry-based quantitative proteomics using Stable Isotope Labelling with Amino Acids in Cell Culture to study cell signalling, post-translation modifications, protein-protein interactions, and secretomics following antioxidant treatment. Provided in collaboration with Newcastle University Protein and Proteome Analysis (NUPPA). Sold to industry clients and academic collaborators.
• Nutritional Intervention Trials In vivo testing of approved compounds and nutritional products in healthy volunteers, including ADME determination, using dedicated human intervention trial facilities. Sold to industry clients seeking clinical evidence for nutritional products.
• Oxidative Stress Testing Device Sophisticated consumer-facing testing device based on whole-blood chemiluminescence assays that quantitatively detects oxidative stress from a single drop of blood, enabling consumers to assess their antioxidant status and determine which dietary antioxidants would optimize their cellular health. Targeted at individual consumers; under development.

Quantifiable outcome

• Consuming wild blueberries for 12 weeks reduced oxidative stress by up to 88%
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Newcastle UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012PB Bioscience is an official Newcastle University spinout company founded by Prof. Mark Birch-Machin and Dr Georg Lietz. The company leverages university research facilities and maintains ongoing collaboration for nutrigenomics research, SILAC proteomics analysis (NUPPA), and human intervention trial facilities.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• DayTwo: Personalised nutrition company using microbiome profiling to deliver dietary recommendations that modulate blood sugar. Comparable positioning and consumer testing-product adjacency.
• DNAfit: Consumer genetic/nutrigenomics testing brand offering personalised diet and fitness recommendations. Comparable as a biomarker-based personalised nutrition product targeting overlapping consumer segments.
• Orig3n: Consumer-focused genetic and biomarker testing company offering personal health and nutrition insights. Comparable as a direct-to-consumer testing business built around novel cellular biomarkers.
• Genoskin: Specialised life-sciences testing provider using ex vivo human skin models and proprietary assays to support cosmetic and dermatology R&D. Comparable as a niche biomarker-testing spinout commercialising academic research into B2B testing services.
• SkinDNA: Genetic-based skin analysis and personalised skincare testing service. Comparable as a DNA-biomarker consumer testing business built on a founder's academic research, reflecting PB Bioscience's mtDNA-test commercialisation angle.

Broad incumbents

• Charles River Laboratories: Large contract research organisation providing analytical and biological testing services to the life sciences industry. Overlaps with PB Bioscience in cell-based assays, gene expression analysis, and proteomics service delivery.
• SGS Société Générale de Surveillance: Major testing, inspection and certification services provider with food and life-sciences testing capabilities. Comparable as a broad incumbent competing for the same food-and-drink brand testing spend.
• Eurofins Scientific: Global leader in food, pharma and cosmetic testing services operating at scale. Comparable as a broad incumbent offering commercial laboratory testing and validation services to the same food/health-and-wellness brand customer base that PB Bioscience targets.

Direct peers

• ZOE: Consumer personalised nutrition company combining blood fat, blood sugar and gut microbiome tests with dietary recommendations. Closely comparable business model around at-home biomarker testing and personalised dietary advice.
• Viome: Direct-to-consumer personalised nutrition platform using proprietary biomarker assays (gut microbiome and gene expression) to recommend dietary interventions. Highly comparable as a personalised-nutrition and consumer-testing peer targeting the same end-user problem.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about PB Bioscience