Celebrating 10 years of innovation and partnership.
By: Fitzsimons Innovation Community
Back in December of 2013, Jian Zhang, Ph.D. and Founder and CEO of Z Biotech, was doing advanced research in glycobiology and just starting his company. He was a one-man show, and, in 2014, opened with one bench in the Bioscience 1 building. While he was just getting started then, glycobiology is now one of the fastest growing scientific fields, and Dr. Zhang has been one of its trailblazers. He and his team are now celebrating Z Biotech’s tenth anniversary, and we’re proud to say they’ve been blazing those trails here at Fitzsimons Innovation Community for the past decade. Z Biotech is focused on solving the challenges of developing surface chemistry for multivalent glycan presentation. In other words, Dr. Zhang and his team research how the carbohydrates on the surface of the cell can contribute to important developments in other areas of biology. And they’re really good at it.
The glycan arrays produced by Z Biotech are used by companies all over the world to advance their own glycobiology and disease prevention and treatment research. From studies on cancer and other diseases, to a deeper understanding of COVID antibody responses, Z Biotech has a line of products that aid in almost every area of glycobiology exploration. Z Biotech also provides services and consulting to their customers to ensure that studies go smoothly and have all the necessary elements and objectives for success.
When Dr. Zhang was first looking for a home for Z Biotech, he struggled to find a space that would accommodate his needs. “When I started this company in Denver in 2013, there weren’t many options for lab space and research facilities, but Fitzsimons Innovation Community provided everything I needed.”
Over the past ten years, that one bench and one employee have grown into a team of four with a much larger space in Bioscience 1. The company started with just one great idea, but they’re now focused on much more. Dr. Zhang explains the three main elements of their day-to-day are:
- Manufacturing existing products and selling directly to their customers.
- Services and consulting for customers to ensure the products are effective and properly used and the results can meet customers’ needs.
- Research and development for new product lines and ideas to implement in the future.
Staying on the frontlines of glycobiology and disease research can be high-pressure work, and Dr. Zhang appreciates the amenities the Fitzsimons Innovation Community offers to him and his employees to help them maintain a work-life balance. He also explains that the collaboration available with other Community members has been a valuable element in their success. “We’re able to collaborate with other Fitzsimons companies and with the Fitzsimons leadership, and the resources and support we give each other are so helpful.”
Dr. Zhang is proud to look back at the accomplishments of the past ten years, but—always an innovator—he’s also excited about what the future holds. “Our customers appreciate our current products and services, but we are always developing new technology for the future. To be fresh and competitive, you need to always be coming up with new ideas.”
Fitzsimons Innovation Community is proud to celebrate with Z Biotech as they accomplish ten years of innovation and plan for at least ten more. Congratulations to Dr. Zhang and his team!
