NIAID awarded Zepto Life Technology a contract valued at up to $8.9 million to advance a plasma cell-free DNA liquid biopsy platform for invasive fungal infections. The funded work supports development of an integrated molecular diagnostic system and a planned multi-center clinical study intended to support a future FDA submission, if milestones are met. Zepto’s approach detects pathogen-derived cell-free DNA directly from standard blood draws, aiming to identify fungi without culture waiting times or invasive sampling. Its FungiFlex Mold Panel has already received a breakthrough device designation from FDA and is available through the company’s CLIA-certified reference laboratory. For diagnostic commercialization, the NIAID award provides both engineering/manufacturing support and clinical-generation infrastructure, potentially accelerating translation toward regulatory clearance in hospital and microbiology settings.