In 1988, co-founder, Dr. Shamsuddin wanted to understand what happens early during cancer formation. During his research, studying colon as an experimental model, he observed that an alteration in the disaccharide Gal-GalNAc of secreted mucus appears as an early tumor marker, even before the cancer has formed.

Further experimentation led him to find a multifocal expression of the tumor marker through the entire colon (aka the “field effect”). Dr. Shamsuddin developed a simple & efficient way to detect the presence of the biomarker by using the enzyme galactose oxidase and a dye (Schiff’s reagent)