DENCODA’s mission is to address critical research and diagnostic detection challenges.

We’re leaders in the DNA and protein technological revolution.

2023

  • Awarded from the Indiana Small Business Development Center for the Indiana Technical Assistance Program (INTAP) ($12,500)

2022

  • Awarded Phase I SBIR from NIAMS ($256,000): Matrix-Metallo-Protease
  • SBIR matching fund from Elevate Venture ($50,000)
  • Purdue Boost Accelerator program ($5,000)

2021

  • National NSF I-Corps (105 interviews) ($50,000)-Kinase assay
  • NIAID Application Assistance Program/ DOE Phase I Assistance Program

2020

  • Won Elevate Venture Pitch Competition ($20,000)
  • Awarded NSF-EAGER- co-PI ($300,000) with Purdue University: Kinase assay
  • Participated in Nexus Origin

2019

  • DENCODA was founded
  • NCI Application Assistance Program
  • Participated NSF I-Corps Midwest

2018

  • Participated Purdue Foundry Firestarter

Our team

We have an experienced team that are leaders in the molecular and biochemical diagnostics field.

Dongwook Kim

Founder & CEO

Alex Valencia Ph.D.

Chief Technology Officer

Adam Friedman Ph.D.

Business Development Consultant

Our advisors & consultants

Our advisors and consultants have been involved in establishing DENCODA’s groundbreaking technology.

Casey Krusemark, Ph.D.

Scientific Advisor & Co-inventor

Associate Professor, Purdue University

Chelsea Bahner Ph.D.

Research Partner

Principal Investigator, Steadman Philippon Research Institute

Chris Emery M.D.

Clinical Research Partner

Professor, Clinical Pathology Lab Director, Indiana University Hospital

Steve Charlebois, Ph.D.

Research Partner

Vice President, MED Institute

Steve Cotten Ph.D.

Clinical Research Partners

Assoc. Professor, Pathology Lab Director, University of North Carolina Hospital

Why DENCODA?

Our name refers to

Encoding disease information into DNA

We have innovated a new assay format that uses synthetic DNA-linked probes to encode protein activity – not just levels – that can be quantified via sequence analysis. By encoding protein activity into DNA sequences, our technology represents a step beyond canonical approaches that use DNA only as a tag for purification or as a signal for detection of levels.

Bring DENCODA to your laboratory at a research or healthcare institution.

Let’s Talk