Fieldstone Bio programs microbes to sense specific compounds and visibly respond — for example changing color when they encounter nutrients, TNT residue, or arsenic. The startup spun out of MIT in 2023 from professor Chris Voigt’s lab and has developed methods to visualize engineered cells from long distances. Their workflow isolates microbes from target environments, installs DNA sensor parts tailored to each compound, and selects strains that persist and produce detectable optical signals. Fieldstone plans to disperse microbes via drones and later image the area with hyperspectral cameras, then use AI models to identify the microbes' specific wavelength signals and produce high-resolution maps. Applications cited include agriculture (soil nitrogen mapping), national security (landmine detection), and environmental contamination mapping (e.g., arsenic). The company recently raised $5 million in seed funding to move from lab testing to real-world trials and is engaging regulators such as the EPA as it develops deployment protocols.

Total raised

$5M

Funding rounds

1

Latest round

Seed

Latest activity

May 2025