Tinto-Rang

One of the main pillars of advances in the field of modern medicine is genetic testing, which greatly depends on the visualisation of DNA. However, the employment of expensive and dangerous stains like SYBR Green and Ethidium Bromide (EtBr) has long impeded this important step. Because thesesubstances are carcinogenic, researchers are exposed to serious health hazards. Furthermore, in areas with limited resources, access to essential genetic testing is restricted due to the high cost of SYBR Green. The problem of handling nucleic acids securely without using dangerous stainingagents has remained unsolved for more than 40 years, despite significant progress. Commonly used for visual aids, ethidium bromide and SYBR dye have been shown to be carcinogenic and biohazardous, necessitating careful disposal to reduce their carbon footprint and environmental impact.Even at diluted quantities, the widespread use of these carcinogenic dyes in molecular biology labs raises concerns about human health in addition to producing biohazardous waste. Therefore, a swift shift from these hazardous dyes to safer and more efficient substitutes is required.

In the realm of DNA staining, Tinto Rang is revolutionary. Bright and plant-based, this pigment is created from safe, edible plants found in South India. Tinto Rang functions by producing a bright red light that illuminates your DNA samples. The allure of Tinto Rang lies in its ability to bond precisely to DNA, giving it the same level of visibility as conventional stains. However, there is a crucial distinction: Tinto Rang is entirely safe to use. It really is that easy: neither gloves nor disposing of hazardous garbage. This marvel of nature increases accessibility and safety for genetic testing for researchers. Tinto Rang's main objective is to transform DNA stain affordability and safety, but by putting an emphasis on sustainability, it also contributes to the fight against climate change. The biodegradability of Tinto Rang lessens the environmental effect in laboratories when compared to standard DNA stains, which generate toxic waste that needs to be disposed of appropriately. Its dependence on easily accessible plant sources also removes the need for sophisticated chemical processes or nonrenewable resources, both of which may have a larger carbon footprint. By encouraging a more sustainable approach in the healthcare industry, Tinto Rang contributes to the worldwide climate change agenda. This revolutionary stain is safe to eat because it has a food-grade certification. This is a major advancement in shielding the scientific community from mutagenic and carcinogenic exposure. 

Toxic and carcinogenic stains have been used by scientists for decades to see DNA, keeping it a dirty secret in their quest for scientific understanding.  With repeated exposure, these dangerous substances—which were frequently used in laboratories in many gels per day—posed a serious health risk to researchers.  But a ground-breaking product called Tinto Rang is transforming the DNA analysis market by providing the scientific community with a more sustainable and safe substitute.

Tinto Rang, created by Azooka Labs Pvt Ltd, is the first certified nucleic acid stain for food use in the world. Thanks to this ground-breaking discovery, scientists may now view DNA without endangering their health.  Because of their strong interactions with DNA, traditional stains like SYBR Gold and Ethidium Bromide are known to cause mutations and pose health hazards.An international effort to create safer substitutes that are still affordable and sensitive has been spurred by these worries.

In this quest, Tinto Rang shows great promise.  These harmful and cancer-causing stains are a daily hazard for scientists working in the fields of genetics, forensics, and DNA analysis.  The available solutions today are frequently synthetic and have a history of causing mutations, which could have major negative effects on health.  The issue is made worse by improper disposal of these dangerous chemicals, which puts the environment and marine life at risk.    
This is Tinto Rang's strongest point. This revolutionary stain is safe to eat because it has a food-grade certification. This is a major advancement in shielding the scientific community from mutagenic and carcinogenic exposure.  While mutagens are physical or chemical agents that change an organism's genetic material, usually DNA, carcinogens are compounds that are directly connected to the development of cancer.  Importantly, Tinto Rang accomplishes this without jeopardizing the DNA's integrity.  Tinto Rang preserves the integrity and dependability of study results by not changing or distorting the DNA structure, as contrast to conventional stains. With the launch of Tinto Rang, a market that was formerly dominated by over thirty well-known nucleic acid stains gets upended. These stains all have the unsettling trait of being potentially biohazardous, mutagenic, and carcinogenic. Because of these variables, strict safety procedures are required, which raises the total cost of diagnostics and DNA-based testing.  Uniquely, Tinto Rang provides a safer, more environmentally friendly substitute that does away with the requirement for such stringent safety precautions. This could result in a financial savings for these important research projects.
To sum up, Tinto Rang is revolutionary for the scientific world.  It protects the integrity of study data while putting the health and safety of researchers first by providing a food-grade, non-mutagenic, and non-carcinogenic DNA stain.

When COVID-19 pandemic hit the number of RT PCR tests were on demand and due to this there were a lot of lab and environmental hazards. The dyes, especially the fluorescent dyes that are used to test the nucleic acids like DNA and RNA are very toxic to laboratory workers and also disposal is a problem. Tinto rang is fluorescent dye and is nontoxic, and is the only food grade safe dye, Keeping the health concerns of the lab staff in mind, unique thing about the solution is that it is derived from natural ingredients and also can be handled without gloves and it is safe and binds to the minor groove of DNA without disturbing the structure of the DNA and also a unique invention in the field of DNA testing. 

Our motto is working towards green chemistry i.e safer chemistry for accident prevention, Designing safer chemicals. Our focus is both health and environment safety. 

Our team has extensive knowledge across this field 
Dr. Fathima J Benazir: CO-founder and Chief scientific officer, Molecular biologist by training, has 20 years of experience
Alex D Paul: CEO and product manager, well-versed in the field of management has 20 years of experience
Finally our concern is working towards the green environment and focusing on the health of people who provide for scientific community.

Growth Stage Focus:

• Market Expansion: Azooka's participation in international trade shows and pursuit of global distributors demonstrates a clear intent to expand Tinto Rang's market reach. This aligns with the growth stage where companies seek new customer segments and establish a broader footprint.

• Scalability Strategy: The emphasis on partnerships with established distributors highlights a focus on scaling operations efficiently. Leveraging existing networks allows Azooka to reach a wider audience without building a complete global infrastructure from scratch, a characteristic of companies in the growth phase.

• Digital Customer Acquisition: The focus on website optimization indicates a strategic approach to attracting and converting potential customers online. This is crucial for efficient lead generation and customer acquisition during the growth stage.

Considerations with Patent Pending Status:

• Market Exclusivity (Limited): While a pending patent application offers some protection, Azooka cannot fully prevent competitors from developing similar solutions. This necessitates a focus on market penetration and establishing brand recognition before potential competitors emerge.

• Risk Mitigation Strategy: The multifaceted approach, including diverse marketing channels and partnerships, helps mitigate risks associated with potential patent challenges or delays in the granting process.

Overall, Azooka's strategy demonstrates a well-defined approach to scaling Tinto Rang in the growth stage. Our company is actively expanding its market reach, optimizing operations for scalability, and leveraging digital channels for efficient customer acquisition. While the patent is pending, the multifaceted approach helps mitigate risks associated with potential delays or challenges in the patent granting process.

We are applying to SOLVE to help tackle some of the barriers we currently face as a start-up and as a biotechnology company in India . Venture funding remains a significant challenge in India's biotechnology and life sciences sectors due to investors' lack of understanding regarding the value of intellectual property and technology transfer. This limitation impacts early-stage revenue and hampers team growth. Additionally, attracting top operational talent poses a challenge, as many professionals prefer corporate roles over startups, affecting workforce development. In the competitive landscape of biotech, particularly in RUO and Diagnostics, challenges such as vendor consumable monopolies, tough price negotiations, bias favoring imported products, and conventional sales practices are encountered. 

 Furthermore, allocating funds for marketing is challenging for a biotech startup, as financial resources are crucial for research and product development. This limited marketing budget constrains the ability to effectively promote products on the market.

Azooka is actively seeking mentorship to enhance our business development efforts and explore collaborative opportunities with pharmaceutical and medical device companies to broaden the applications of our products. Additionally, we are in need of your support and guidance to obtain FDA GRAS approval for our Eco-Fluors and secure a 510(k) waiver as well. As we are currently focused on global expansion, we also seek  expertise in devising strategies to enter the global researcher’s market. We believe that the support and mentorship from the Solve associated companies in these critical aspects would greatly contribute to our growth and success.

Safeguarding Researchers in the Lab: Introducing Tintorang
Scientific progress hinges on the tireless efforts of researchers. Protecting them from harmful reagents is a shared responsibility.
The Problem: Ethidium Bromide (EtBr)
Ethidium bromide, a widely used stain in molecular biology labs for visualizing nucleic acids, poses significant health risks.  Researchers face potential exposure leading to skin, eye, and respiratory tract irritation, and even cancer. A safer, equally effective alternative is urgently needed.
The Solution: Tintorang
Tintorang is a food-grade, eco-friendly fluorophore designed for safe and effective DNA/RNA staining and visualization. Unlike EtBr, Tintorang poses no health hazards to researchers.
Key Advantages of Tintorang:
Superior Safety: Food-grade certification ensures safe handling, eliminating concerns about harmful exposure.
Enhanced Sensitivity: Tintorang boasts 100x greater sensitivity compared to EtBr alternatives like SYBR Safe.
Broad Compatibility: Works seamlessly with existing gel documentation systems.
Exceptional Stability: Maintains effectiveness for up to 150 days at room temperature, eliminating the need for special storage.
Streamlined Workflow: No PCR incubation required, saving researchers valuable time.
Environmentally Friendly: Tintorang simplifies waste disposal; it can be directly disposed of in water systems, unlike EtBr which necessitates hazardous waste protocols.
Peace of Mind: Spills pose no risk, thanks to Tintorang's CE-certified food-grade formula.
Tintorang offers a compelling solution for researchers seeking a safer, more efficient alternative to EtBr.

Bad environmental changes leads to more disease hence more research will be carried on to find the solution for the diseases, hence in research there will be use of chemicals which will be hazardous to both researchers as well as the environment after the disposal. Hence Tinto rang is a type of reagent that is nontoxic, which can be used without gloves, made of natural ingredients,  gives good yield and is easily disposable. By this we can say that it is a step taken towards creating a good health and also clean and green environment.

Our small company consists of 

CEO and Co-founder- Alex D Paul: Leads Company, platform  Strategy, handles the Product management and marketing of Azooka products

CSO and Co-Founder- Dr. Fathima Benazir: Responsible for the scientific direction of the company and oversees the Research and development (R&D) department, responsible for creating new products and technologies 

Research Associate - Shikha Singh: Manages R&D projects and interns, 

Sales - Deekshitha M - Takes care of product sales and Assist in R&D projects. 

Marketing - Siddhi Sudev: Part of the marketing team, creating campaigns, designing and assisting in R&D projects.

Tinto Rang: A Decade-Long Journey of Innovation at Azooka Labs

Tinto Rang, a food-grade certified nucleic acid stain, serves as the cornerstone of Azooka Labs Pvt Ltd. This innovative deep tech solution was the genesis of the company, established over a decade ago. The development of Tinto Rang signifies a significant contribution to the field of molecular biology by addressing a long-standing challenge: researcher safety during nucleic acid visualization techniques.

When we say a product is successful that means it has the efforts of all the members in the team. Our team encourages Diversity, equity and inclusion. There are people from different parts of the country who have great talent in the field of biotechnology, microbiology, molecular biology and management. All the individuals in the team are provided equal opportunity and importance to help them face challenges and improve the skill. The work environment provides a welcoming gesture for the team members for all sorts of discussions, opinions and supporting and respecting their ideas because team work is what leads to progress.

Seed, Other- Grants, Family and friends

Company revenue: 
2022-23 Turn over of the company-  79,00,000 INR

2023-24 Current Turnover of the company-2,00,000 INR (Until 30-Sep-2023)

The company also has 133 active users/customers.

1 Yr Impact : Top 3 Microbiome tests in India use Azooka 

5 yr Impact : Azooka’s products align with Sustainable Development Goals / Climate change Data Policy as an alternative to Bio Hazardous chemicals.

In High Income Group Countries, we will primarily sell through online store-fronts such as Merck.com, thermofisher.com, online-distributors and develop licensing agreements. In Low and Middle Income Group Countries, we will primarily sell through well-established distributors.