# HIBT Lab! Biobot Analytics: Mariana Matus and Newsha Ghaeli

- Show: [How I Built This](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this)
- Published: 2023-02-09
- Length: 37m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2023-02-09-hibt-lab-biobot-analytics-mariana-matus-and-newsha-ghaeli

## Summary

Biobot Analytics founders Mariana Matus, a computational biologist, and Newsha Ghaeli, an architect, explain how they commercialized wastewater epidemiology to detect diseases and drug use in communities. They describe their early research at MIT, where they overcame initial failures in flu detection by optimizing sampling protocols, and detail their business model serving government agencies like the CDC and private enterprise clients. The founders discuss raising capital for a novel B2G model, the technical challenges of extracting biomarkers from sewage, and their vision for a global network of sewer data to improve public health and sanitation infrastructure.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2023-02-09-hibt-lab-biobot-analytics-mariana-matus-and-newsha-ghaeli#t=0) Introduction: Mariana Matus and Newsha Ghaeli of Biobot Analytics
- [1:34](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2023-02-09-hibt-lab-biobot-analytics-mariana-matus-and-newsha-ghaeli#t=94) Meeting at MIT: Combining Biology and Architecture
- [7:47](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2023-02-09-hibt-lab-biobot-analytics-mariana-matus-and-newsha-ghaeli#t=467) Early Research: The Failed Flu Experiment and Sampling Optimization
- [14:09](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2023-02-09-hibt-lab-biobot-analytics-mariana-matus-and-newsha-ghaeli#t=849) Commercializing Wastewater Intelligence: Biobot's Launch
- [19:34](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2023-02-09-hibt-lab-biobot-analytics-mariana-matus-and-newsha-ghaeli#t=1174) Business Model: Government Clients, the CDC, and Enterprise Customers
- [23:58](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2023-02-09-hibt-lab-biobot-analytics-mariana-matus-and-newsha-ghaeli#t=1438) Opioid Tracking: Case Study of Kerry, North Carolina
- [27:32](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2023-02-09-hibt-lab-biobot-analytics-mariana-matus-and-newsha-ghaeli#t=1652) Fundraising Challenges and Founder Growth
- [32:54](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2023-02-09-hibt-lab-biobot-analytics-mariana-matus-and-newsha-ghaeli#t=1974) Privacy, Ethics, and Future Applications of Wastewater Data

## Topics

- [Validation & product-market fit](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/validation-and-product-market-fit)
- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)
- [Fundraising & investors](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/fundraising)
- [Connected products & IoT](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/connected-products-and-iot)
- [Security & privacy](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/security-and-privacy)
- [Policy, trade & tariffs](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/policy-trade-and-tariffs)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Biobot Analytics (company)
- Mariana Matus (other)
- Newsha Ghaeli (other)
- MIT (other)
- CDC (company)
- U.S. Bank (company)

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