When Momčilo Gavrilov arrived at Johns Hopkins University as a postdoctoral fellow in 2016, he wasn’t planning to launch a startup. He was focused on fundamental questions in biophysics: how molecular motors process information stored in DNA. As academic curiosity evolved into breakthrough technology, SHARP Diagnostics ultimately became a Johns Hopkins startup poised to transform molecular testing.
SHARP Diagnostics is developing a revolutionary reagent kit that enables rapid, portable, and scalable detection of DNA and RNA without a thermocycler. This innovation dramatically reduces the time and infrastructure required for polymerase chain reaction (PCR), the gold standard for DNA/RNA amplification. Instead of waiting hours for results in a specialized lab, SHARP’s technology delivers answers in under five minutes, using only a heat block or simple incubator.
Gavrilov’s journey began in Serbia, where he studied applied physics before pursuing a PhD in Vancouver, Canada. His doctoral research explored the thermodynamics of information, a field that examines whether information is a physical entity and how to optimize its processing. A summer school encounter with Professor Taekjip Ha led Gavrilov to Johns Hopkins, where he joined Ha’s lab and began studying molecular motors using single-molecule biophysics tools.
One of those motors — a bioengineered helicase — became the foundation for SHARP’s technology. Unlike traditional PCR, which relies on machines to heat and cool samples, SHARP’s motor protein can unwind DNA at a constant temperature. This innovation was published in Nature Communications in 2022 and quickly drew attention from researchers and industry alike.
The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated Gavrilov’s pivot from research to commercialization. Faced with a shortage of thermocyclers for mass testing, Johns Hopkins issued a call for proposals. Gavrilov responded, developing a prototype that eliminated the need for complex equipment. With support from JHTV, he filed a provisional patent and began forming SHARP Diagnostics.
Initially balancing startup work with a job at Honeywell, Gavrilov secured an Activate Fellowship in 2024, allowing him to focus full-time on SHARP. He also received support from TEDCO and FastForward U (now the Pava Center), including lab space, funding, and mentorship. By early 2025, SHARP had opened its own lab, joined by Johns Hopkins graduates Tom Zhang, who earned his PhD in molecular biophysics, and Keith Macias, who received his bachelor’s degree in biophysics. Leveraging exceptional talent from the Johns Hopkins ecosystem, SHARP launched and began selling its first demo product in October 2025.
Throughout SHARP’s evolution, JHTV played a pivotal role in guiding the company from lab bench to market. From early-stage licensing to helping navigate the complexities of intellectual property, JHTV provided the infrastructure and mentorship needed to accelerate SHARP’s growth.
“Having access to JHTV’s resources, especially the incredible mentorship network, was instrumental in getting SHARP off the ground,” Gavrilov said. “They helped us demystify the licensing process, identify funding opportunities, and connect with the right people at the right time.”
SHARP’s reagent kit is compatible with existing PCR assays, enabling users to swap reagents without redesigning their workflows. The kit is priced at $500 and offers unmatched speed, portability, and scalability. It’s already being used by customers in Switzerland, Belgium, Germany, New York, California, and Maryland for research applications ranging from agricultural diagnostics to biothreat detection.
Looking Ahead
Gavrilov envisions SHARP as a platform technology with broad applications. The company is currently gathering customer feedback to refine its product and plans to pursue targeted diagnostics markets while sublicensing other use cases. With ongoing support from JHTV, Activate, and NIH grant proposals, SHARP is well-positioned to scale.
“This way of replicating DNA is a lot more authentic, like how living systems do it,” said Gavrilov. The future of molecular testing may be closer than we think.