Detect-ION Launches Collaborative Project to Develop Breath-Based Diagnostics for Pneumonia-Causing Pathogens

TAMPA, Fla., Dec. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Detect-ION, LLC, a health-tech startup based in Tampa, FL, today announced a collaborative project with the Infectious Diseases Division at Mayo Clinic Florida funded through the Mayo Clinic Advanced Innovation Research (MC-AIR) program. The project aims to develop a non-invasive breath test for detecting Pseudomonas aeruginosa – one of the leading causes of pneumonia in lung transplant recipients and patients with structural lung diseases.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa: A Serious Threat
P. aeruginosa is a highly adaptable bacterium and a major cause of hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) or ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) cases, which can lead to further spread of infection, sepsis, or even respiratory failure. While it can infect healthy individuals, it primarily targets immunocompromised patients or those with medical devices such as prosthetics and implants. The ability of Pseudomonas to form protective biofilms and resist antibiotics makes it extremely difficult to treat, contributing to unnecessary use of broad-spectrum antibiotics and the rise of drug-resistant strains.

Transforming Respiratory Infection Diagnostics
Current diagnostic tools are often unreliable, invasive, and slow. Sputum and blood cultures are often inconclusive, while bronchoscopy—though useful—is costly, invasive, and unsafe for many high-risk patients. Critically, these methods don't often reliably distinguish between invasive strains and colonizing strains, which are unlikely to cause infections, often resulting in overtreatment with powerful antibiotics.

This project aims to change that. By identifying biomarkers in exhaled breath, the team will work to develop a diagnostic tool capable of:

• Detecting lower respiratory tract pathogens such as P. aeruginosa
• Distinguishing between colonization and invasive states
• Correlating biomarkers with disease severity
• Monitoring treatment response and efficacy
• Reducing the need for invasive procedures like bronchoscopy

Powered by Detect-ION's CLARION Technology
The ultimate goal of the project, after an initial biomarker discovery phase using high resolution mass spectrometry, is to leverage Detect-ION's CLARION platform: a point-of-care breath diagnostic system powered by a patented miniaturized gas chromatograph and chip-scale mass spectrometer (GC-MS) to address the diagnostic challenges posed by P. aeruginosa. CLARION delivers lab-grade analysis in under five minutes, detecting trace volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in exhaled breath with high sensitivity and specificity.

Originally developed as a dual-use technology for trace chemical sensing through funding from U.S. government agencies including IARPA (iarpa.gov), DARPA (darpa.mil), DTRA (dtra.mil), and DIU (diu.mil), CLARION is now being advanced and diversified for a broad range of clinical uses including pulmonary infections, malaria, tuberculosis and lung cancer.

Improving Patient Outcomes
In the United States alone, pneumonia drives more than $17 billion in annual healthcare costs and often leads to prolonged hospital stays that tie up beds, staff, and equipment. This collaboration aims to develop a scalable, non-invasive breath test that will allow doctors to intervene earlier, tailor treatments more precisely, and use systemic antibiotics more judiciously while expanding preventive strategies such as inhaled antibiotics. The long-term vision is a platform with broad applications across clinical care, government, military operations, public health, and industry, ultimately reshaping how respiratory infections are detected and managed worldwide.

"For decades, the gold standard of chemical analysis has been limited to laboratory settings," said Dr. Ashish Chaudhary, CEO of Detect-ION. "With CLARION, we've miniaturized this capability and adapted for point-of-care breath analysis that now detects diseases in minutes. This collaboration allows us to apply this technology to one of medicine's biggest challenges: diagnosing pneumonia quickly and accurately. This is not just an incremental step—it's a paradigm shift in how we think about diagnostics, with the potential to reduce costs, prevent drug resistance, and redefine standards of care worldwide."

About Detect-ION
Founded in 2021, Detect-ION is a Tampa-based deep-tech startup revolutionizing molecular diagnostics through advanced sensor technologies. With applications spanning national security, public health, and environmental monitoring, Detect-ION's mission is to democratize access to lab-grade analysis through portable, real-time, chip-scale solutions. The company's innovations serve a wide range of CBRNE (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosive) detection needs, alongside pioneering breath-based diagnostics. (detect-ion.com)

SOURCE Detect-ION