FYR Bio hires COO to scale EV multiomics, boosting demand for automation suppliers like ABB

FYR Bio strengthens operations as EV-omics demand rises

Operational buildout spotlights lab automation suppliers such as ABB

FYR Bio is recruiting senior operational leadership as it scales an extracellular vesicle (EV)‑based multiomic platform, a move that highlights rising demand for laboratory automation and systems integration from suppliers such as ABB. The company names Barbara K. Zehentner as chief operating officer to lead expansion of laboratory capacity, inspection readiness and multi‑site workflows that underpin high‑throughput EV enrichment and analysis. Her remit centers on deploying smart automation, disciplined execution and quality systems to deliver dependable multiomic outputs for biopharma and clinical partners.

The appointment underscores a broader industry trend in which novel molecular diagnostics and multiomic workflows drive need for integrated automation, robotics and control systems. Vendors in industrial and laboratory automation — ABB among them — are positioned to supply robotics, process control, and connectivity solutions that help scale sample handling, next‑generation sequencing prep and data‑centric pipelines while meeting CLIA/CAP compliance demands. FYR’s emphasis on automation and inspection readiness signals that biotech firms increasingly prioritize partners who can align laboratory hardware, software and quality systems.

Operational challenges include harmonizing multi‑site workflows, validating automated methods for regulatory inspection, and ensuring throughput while preserving data integrity for downstream AI‑enabled analyses. FYR’s focus on consistent delivery to collaborators in neuroscience and oncology makes system interoperability and automation reliability critical, presenting commercial opportunities for integrators and automation suppliers to develop tailored solutions for EV enrichment, nucleic acid and protein assays, and laboratory informatics.

FYR’s EVO platform and SPARCs enrichment

FYR’s EVO platform uses proprietary SPARCs™ technology to enrich EVs from diseased cells and generate AI‑enabled multiomic profiles from peripheral blood. The company targets applications in neuroscience and oncology, offering CLIA/CAP‑certified services intended to inform biomarker discovery, clinical trial design and drug development.

Executive background and strategic intent

Zehentner brings more than two decades of experience building CLIA/CAP laboratory operations, automation and multi‑site sequencing workflows from roles at CareNexa/Molecular Testing Labs and Adaptive Biotechnologies. CEO Chris Booth praises her record in strengthening operational foundations, and Zehentner says she is focused on expanding capacity, strengthening compliance readiness and delivering reliable multiomic data as FYR advances partnerships with biopharma, academic and clinical collaborators.