Molecubes

Molecubes, founded in 2015 as a spin-off from Ghent University-iMinds in Belgium, develops and manufactures modular benchtop preclinical imaging systems. The company was established by Professor Dr. Roel Van Holen, along with co-founders Pieter Mollet, Bert Vandeghinste, and Ewout Vansteenkiste, based on research to make complex molecular imaging technology more accessible. In January 2016, the company secured €1.9 million in seed funding to launch its initial products.

The company's core business is providing compact and user-friendly in-vivo imaging solutions for life science research. Its primary clients include academic and government research laboratories, pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, and contract research organizations (CROs). The business model centers on the sale of its hardware, the 'CUBES', which are designed for high-performance imaging while maintaining a small footprint suitable for any lab bench. In November 2021, Molecubes was acquired by Bruker Corporation, a move intended to strengthen Bruker's preclinical imaging portfolio and expand the global reach of the CUBES technology. Molecubes continues to operate as an agile team within Bruker's BioSpin Preclinical Imaging division.

Molecubes offers three main products, each a separate benchtop imager that can be used as a standalone unit or in modular combination: the β-CUBE (a high-sensitivity micro-PET scanner), the γ-CUBE (a high-resolution micro-SPECT scanner), and the X-CUBE (a high-throughput, low-dose micro-CT scanner). These systems are designed for whole-body imaging of mice and rats, supporting research in fields like oncology, neurology, and cardiology. A key feature is their modularity, allowing researchers to perform PET/CT, SPECT/CT, or PET/SPECT/CT studies and enabling multiple users to work simultaneously. The systems are supported by intuitive, wireless software that simplifies workflows and makes advanced 3D imaging accessible to a broader range of researchers.

Keywords: preclinical imaging, molecular imaging, PET scanners, SPECT scanners, CT scanners, benchtop imagers, life science research, drug discovery, small animal imaging, modular imaging systems