ProtonDx began life in human health, launching Dragonfly as a portable, rapid molecular diagnostic tool capable of detecting multiple pathogens in under 30 minutes without lab infrastructure. But ProtonDx chairman and CEO Bob Enck says the company quickly realised its technology could solve an equally pressing problem in agriculture: diagnostic delays that impair decision-making and cost billions annually.
“Livestock health emerged as a clear opportunity,” Enck told AgTechNavigator. “It’s a fast-moving, big business environment where waiting days or weeks for results is still widely accepted.”
Farmers, producers, and vets, he believes, deserve the same rapid, reliable testing that transformed human health during COVID.
The post-COVID diagnostic mindset
The pandemic accelerated adoption of point-of-care testing in human medicine. ProtonDx believes agriculture should follow suit. Farmers, producers and vets should all “evolve their expectations”, Enck said. Rapid, multi-pathogen testing on-site, he insists, can transform herd management, biosecurity, and sustainability.
Dragonfly’s modular design made the pivot possible. The core workflow – sample collection, nucleic acid extraction, and molecular detection – remains the same whether for humans or animals. What changes are sample types and target pathogens. For pigs, that means oral fluids and tissue samples tested for PRRSV and Swine Influenza, two of the most economically damaging diseases in British pig production.
Technology built for the farm
Dragonfly uses isothermal amplification for high sensitivity and specificity, eliminating cold-chain requirements – a major barrier to field diagnostics. It’s proven in extreme conditions, Enck says, from Arctic cold to sub-Saharan heat, making it ideal for UK farms year-round.
The platform’s patent-pending LyoLAMP strips enable simultaneous detection of up to six pathogens from a single sample, with colour-coded visual readouts for easy interpretation.
Initial user feedback is “overwhelmingly positive”, Enck reveals with farmers, producers and vets highlighting the value of having actionable results on the spot. “The ease of use and speed of the platform have been widely recognised as transformative for on-farm workflows,” he said.
Commercial momentum: Tesco trials and Innovate UK backing
Winning Tesco’s Agri T-Jam (a start-up pitch competition aimed at finding innovative agricultural technologies that support Tesco’s sustainability goals) gave ProtonDx fast-track access to the retailer’s supplier network. Trials began in October across 50 Tesco-supplying farms as ProtonDX launches its first farm-ready PRRSV and Swine Influenza test.
Tesco recognises the sustainability benefits of proactive disease surveillance, Enck believes. Reducing production costs, improving welfare, and cutting antibiotic use align with their goals.
ProtonDx was also among the early-stage start-ups showcasing their solutions at REAP 2025, the annual conference of Agri-TechE, the not-for-profit connecting farmers, researchers, technologists, and entrepreneurs to stimulate innovation in agriculture.
A multi-million-pound Innovate UK grant is also fuelling expansion. “It supports the adaptation of our technology specifically for testing a wide variety of swine infections,” Enck said. ProtonDx is collaborating with Pilgrim’s, Ceva, and the UK Agri-Tech Centre to ensure its solutions fit real-world farm workflows.
Beyond pigs: A platform for all agriculture
The company’s ambitions extend to cattle, poultry, crops, and even aquaculture. “The same underlying technology is well-suited for each of these applications,” Enck said. He points out that ProtonDx already supplies diagnostic kits globally for diseases like malaria and dengue and is ready to replicate that reach in animal health. “Our infrastructure is designed for scale, and we are ready to expand production and distribution internationally as demand grows in animal health,” Enck said.
“We are seeking to collaborate with major agricultural players including producers, vet groups, farmers and integrators who want to enhance on-farm disease management. Ideal partners are those committed to proactive herd or flock management and who see rapid diagnostics and early detection as ways to strengthen biosecurity, welfare, and yield.”
ProtonDx’s move into livestock diagnostics and beyond isn’t just diversification – it’s a strategic response to a gap in agricultural disease management. By bringing rapid, reliable testing to farms, the company hopes to set a new standard for biosecurity, sustainability, and profitability.
