Kanvas Bio Publishes New Research on its Novel Spectral Imaging Platform, a Transformative Tool for Microbiome Drug Discovery and Development

In the paper, Kanvas demonstrates that its technology outperforms conventional sequencing, achieving a sensitivity of 0.01% and enabling species-level microbial identification.

PRINCETON, N.J., April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Kanvas Biosciences, a full-stack spatial biology company, today announced new research outlining the capabilities of its High-Phylogenetic-Resolution Spatial Mapping (HiPR-Map) Platform, a state-of-the-art spectral imaging technology that enables precise enumeration and spatial localization of microbial cells within complex communities. Titled, "Multiscale Spatial Mapping of Microbial Communities for Biotherapeutic Development," the paper shares how Kanvas' HiPR-Map Platform outperforms gold standard methods such as metagenomics sequencing, especially in low biomass settings, achieving detection of single microbial cells across large imaging areas and at relative abundances below 0.01%. By enabling species-level identification of microbes by resolving ribosomal RNA (rRNA) at single-nucleotide resolution, the company's technology provides unique insights for live biotherapeutic product (LBP) discovery and development.  

In the treatment of diseases ranging from colitis to various cancers, LBPs represent a crucial advancement over traditional fecal microbiota transplants (FMTs). However, to fully replicate the bacterial complexity and therapeutic potential of natural fecal material, more information beyond merely identifying the microorganisms present is required. Instead, a deeper understanding of microbial interactions – with each other, their host, dietary factors and environmental conditions – is essential. Kanvas' HiPR-Map Platform identifies microbial species, while also delivering comprehensive insights into their functional interactions and dynamics. This extensive level of information allows for precise manipulation and optimization of LBPs, significantly enhancing their therapeutic potential. 

"LBPs show great promise for positively modulating the microbiome, a critical component of human health, however existing tools aren't sufficient for developing complex, next generation LBPs," said Dr. Phil Burnham, Chief Scientific Officer at Kanvas. "Kanvas' HiPR-Map technology delivers comprehensive analysis and ultra-high resolution – both optically and taxonomically – while achieving imaging over millimeter-length scales and doing so at cost parity with traditional sequencing. Our latest research shows that our platform can optimize LBP manufacturing and provide a framework for assessing LBPs' therapeutic potential, so that the most effective drugs can be designed and delivered to patients as efficiently as possible."

Kanvas' newly published paper highlights three key findings:

1. Superior technical strengths of HiPR-Map in comparison to sequencing: HiPR-Map can detect single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the 16S rRNA sequence, enabling species-level microbial identification and achieving a sensitivity of 0.01% that outperforms sequencing, particularly in low-biomass environments.
2. Engraftment profile of Kanvas LBPs in a mouse GI tract in the ileum, cecum and colon: HiPR-Map revealed host-microbiome-food interactions and showed preferential enrichment of certain species near hosts in different regions of the gut. AIso revealed was microbial enrichment inside or on the boundary of some food particles, which could be used to inform dietary influences on LBP response.
3. Spatial interactions of microbes at microscale and mesoscale: At microscale, HiPR-Map showed positive and negative associations of certain species in different regions of the GI tract. At mesoscale, the existence of certain neighborhoods containing varying compositions of different species were found. These distinctive patterns – which would otherwise be lost with sequencing – are vital for LBP manufacturing and evaluating its therapeutic potential.

"HiPR-Map's unparalleled accuracy and exceptional spatial resolution position it as a transformative breakthrough, with potential extending well beyond LBP applications," added Dr. Prateek Sehgal, Senior Principal Scientist at Kanvas Bio. "Kanvas' platform empowers researchers to visualize and dissect complex microbial communities across diverse fields, for instance, providing novel diagnostic insights and advancing the understanding of microbiota in nutritional health."

This research follows Kanvas' November unveiling of data from a clinical trial of FMT and anti-PD-1 re-induction in microsatellite instability-high refractory cancers, the results of which suggest that the gut micro­bio­me affects anti-tumoral immu­ni­ty in a tumor-agnos­tic manner. Last month, Kanvas welcomed Dr. Keith Flaherty to its Scientific Board of Directors. A co-founder of Scorpion, which was recently acquired by Eli Lilly (NYSE: LLY), Director of Clinical Research at the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center and Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, Dr. Flaherty will support Kanvas in clinical development and clinical trial design, and help the company build momentum toward a commercial launch of its LBP pipeline.

To access Kanvas' paper in full, click here. For more information on the company or to inquire about leveraging the Kanvas platform for LBP development, visit: www.kanvasbio.com/contact.

About Kanvas Biosciences

Kanvas Biosciences is a spatial biology company building the world's first microbiome drug screening, discovery and manufacturing platform to accelerate the development of next generation live biotherapeutics. With an unparalleled ability to spatially map the microbiome and profile host gene expression, and manufacture complex consortia containing hundreds of members that can restore microbiome health, the company is uniquely positioned to develop novel therapeutics that can significantly improve the lives of all patients living with microbiome-associated diseases. Kanvas Biosciences' technology was initially developed at Cornell University and exclusively licensed. The company's notable investors include DCVC, Lions Capital LLC, FemHealth Ventures, Germin8, Ki Tua Fund, Pangaea Ventures, Triple Impact Capital and Uncommon Denominator. Kanvas Biosciences is headquartered in Princeton, NJ. For more information, visit www.kanvasbio.com or follow the company on LinkedIn.

SOURCE Kanvas Biosciences