Innovative Science

Ixcela has developed the world’s first at-home blood test that can help identify ways to improve internal health and wellness through modification of the gut

Different Than Any Other Gut Microbiome Company

Ixcela’s science-based actionable approach, decades of research in the areas of metabolomics, proteomics, and genomics, and proprietary technology make Ixcela unique in the gut microbiome testing market. We don’t just provide you with data; we provide you with actionable results that can help you to make better-informed decisions regarding your health, wellness, and lifestyle. Traditional stool sample tests can be difficult to collect and only tell you what types of bacteria are in the gut.

Our test tells you whether your gut bacteria are producing the building blocks necessary to stay healthy.

A Heavily Researched, Science-Based Approach

Our approach is focused on restoring “Internal Health” using a sophisticated yet simple at-home test that identifies imbalances in key molecules associated with the gut microbiome. These compounds play an important role in many aspects of health, including: emotional balance, cognitive acuity, energetic efficiency, and immuno fitness.

Ixcela also provides individualized therapies that can restore these molecules to their proper levels through a personalized program of dietary and lifestyle modifications as well as proprietary supplements targeted at improving gut microbiome health.

Pinprick Blood Test + CoulArray™ Technology

Our pinprick blood test looks at the levels of metabolites shown to be associated with gut microbiome health. Our research is derived from in-house experimentation (conducted with pharmaceutical partners, nonprofit organizations like NASA, and academic institutions such as Harvard, Massachusetts General Hospital, Duke, and Mayo Clinic), peer-reviewed literature, and clinical studies conducted at other laboratories around the world.

The proprietary technology used to analyze the blood spot is the Electrochemical Array (CoulArray™), which was invented by our co-founder Wayne Matson.

Targeted Approach for Affecting Microbiome Changes

Using Ixcela’s unique supplements and interventions, individuals can regulate specific metabolites that are not at optimal levels. Our comprehensive approach:

a) determines gut microbiome dysbiosis and

b) provides actionable solutions for restoring proper gut microbiome health, ultimately improving internal health.

Scientists, Inventors, and World-Class Experts Lead Our Team

Our scientific leadership team brings together proven, successful entrepreneurial experience and multiple exits with world-class performance and science. Our Pinnacle Award-winning CEO Erika Angle, Ph.D. (Biochemistry) partners with our Chief Scientist Wayne Matson, Ph.D., founder of ESA, Inc., whose many inventions include CoulArray™ and the handheld blood test used extensively in the 1980s to monitor childhood lead levels, amongst many others.

The Technology Behind Ixcela

We are the only company currently in the marketplace using a pinprick dried blood test to screen for metabolites related to gut health.

Ixcela’s innovative technology was developed to use just a small drop of blood on a piece of special filter paper to measure a critical subset of metabolites. The process:

Using an Ixcela Internal Fitness™ Test kit, a small drop of blood from a finger stick is placed on a filter paper pad.
The kit is closed and the blood is rapidly dried to stabilize critical compounds.
On receipt, the exact amount of blood is determined using proprietary Ixcela technology.
Key metabolites of interest are extracted from the blood on the filter paper.
The metabolites are analyzed using a liquid chromatography (LC) technique employing Electrochemical Array Detection (ECA) originally invented by Dr. Matson, which he modified for the Ixcela test for greater sensitivity (low picogram range).
A report is generated from the analysis of the key metabolites and evaluated against what is considered to be normal, healthy ranges.

Ixcela Research Collaborations & Studies

Oracle Team USA's competitive sailor's training is impacted by Ixcela's gut microbiome program

In this study, we utilized Ixcela's technology to detect blood-based biomarkers in sailors participating in America’s Cup 2017 as part of ORACLE TEAM USA.

Duke University and Ixcela explore the link between the gut microbiome and the cardiovascular system

Ixcela has teamed up with the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Duke University to explore the link between the gut microbiome and the cardiovascular system.

Ixcela and Charles River Laboratories collaborate to test efficacy of proprietary supplement - Ixcela Shield

Ixcela commissioned a study with Charles River Laboratories in February 2015 to investigate the outcome of dietary supplementation in mice.

White Paper: Gut Bacteria Balance Enhanced Performance for ORACLE TEAM USA

The team experienced a 30% reduction in the incidence of upper respiratory tract infections, a 47.5 % gain in the number of training days lost to illness, and a 54 % improvement in the number of total training days lost.

The Basic Scientific Concepts Behind Ixcela is the "Omic web"

Biochemical wellness or “internal health” is based on optimum operation of the “Omic web” which consists of interactions between the Genome, Transcriptome, Proteome, and Metabolome.