FluoSphera partners with Debiopharm and Leica Microsystems

FluoSphera, the Geneva-based biotech developing advanced in vitro models, has entered a license agreement for Debiopharm’s AbYlink antibody conjugation technology, combining it with light sheet microscopy from Leica Microsystems into a single workflow for antibody characterization.

FluoSphera, a spin-off of the University of Geneva developing advanced in vitro models, has entered into a license agreement for the use of AbYlink, Debiopharm‘s proprietary antibody conjugation technology. The agreement enables the company to offer biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies an integrated workflow combining regio-selective antibody labeling, high-throughput testing in human-relevant three-dimensional models and quantitative imaging analysis.

The offering is designed to support the characterization of antibody-drug conjugates, bispecific antibodies, therapeutic antibodies and other antibody-based modalities. Candidates labeled using AbYlink can subsequently be evaluated on FluoSphera’s 3D testing platform to characterize target binding, target selectivity, tissue penetration and spatial distribution, helping partners generate biologically relevant data and select the most promising candidates earlier in drug development.

The platform combines reproducible 3D human cell and tumor spheroid models with multiplexed imaging and quantitative image analysis, allowing antibodies to be evaluated in parallel across multiple tumor cell lines and target-expression profiles. For tissue penetration studies, FluoSphera uses the Viventis Deep light sheet fluorescence microscope from Leica Microsystems, whose optical configuration allows imaging deep inside the sample and supports quantification of penetration depth, distribution and homogeneity within complex tumor structures. These analyses complement conventional binding assays by revealing how tissue architecture and target expression influence antibody behavior.

Founded in 2021 by Clélia Bourgoint, Gregory Segala and Aurélien Roux, and supported since its inception by FONGIT and Venture Kick, FluoSphera received the Top 100 Swiss Startup Award in 2024 and raised CHF 1.15 million in January 2026 to scale its platform.