The story of Fluobrick Solutions began in January 2020 at LMU Munich, in the lab of Professor Thorben Cordes. Just two months before the COVID-19 pandemic, Gabriel Moya and Professor Cordes developed the idea to build a simple virus detector, which directly and specifically visualizes viral particles without amplication steps as needed in PCR. Together with Professor Eitan Lerner from Hebrew University in Jerusalem, the team created the necessary assay and a new confocal microscope based on a 3D-printed plastic scaffold. Detecting virus particles was straightforward with the device. Turning this first "Brick" into a system that anybody can use was the real challenge. This work laid the foundation for Fluobrick Solutions and its DNA: Start with a biological problem and develop a simple, yet innovative solution. Focus on the problem, not the used instrument!

Fluobrick Solutions Timeline
2020
Fluobrick Solutions began at LMU Munich in Prof. Thorben Cordes' lab. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Gabriel Moya and Prof. Cordes developed a direct virus detector together with Prof. Eitan Lerner, laying the foundation with the first confocal assay.
2021
The first "Virometer" was assembled from spare microscope parts and borrowed optics during lockdown, exceeding expectations and proving the concept.
2022
Advanced methods like FCS, smFRET, and SMLM were integrated into what became the "Brick-MIC" platform. PicoQuant supported the project with lasers and detectors, enabling key progress.
2023
Entry into the LMU Innovation Incubator and the first public pitch marked a step toward building the startup.
2024
Publication of Brick-MIC and recognition with the PicoQuant Award highlighted the growing impact of the platform.
2025
Fluobrick Solutions was officially founded, receiving additional awards and formalizing the long-term partnership with PicoQuant.

CEO & CO-FOUNDER

Rainer studied Physics at Humboldt University in Berlin, earning his diploma in 1991. After German reunification, he worked as an experimental physicist at Berlin-Adlershof’s WISTA campus. In 1996, he founded PicoQuant GmbH to make single-molecule detection via time-resolved fluorescencetake  spectroscopy routinely usable. Today, the PicoQuant Group comprises over 100 scientists, engineers, and technicians, pursuing robust, accessible scientific methods while offering research support. From the start, PicoQuant has also focused on supporting young scientists, including the Brick-MIC project. Rainer remains CEO and serves on the SPIE Board of Directors for 2023 and 2026–2028.

Rainer Erdmann

SCIENTIFIC CO-FOUNDER

Gabriel, originally from Quito, Ecuador, moved to Germany to study Biology at LMU Munich. He specialized in structural biology and developed a strong understanding of laboratory methods and instruments. He gained experience in crystallography and method development at Nanotemper Technologies, providing a foundation for his later research. Gabriel completed his PhD in Biology in July 2025 at the Cordes lab and is pursuing a postdoc at TU Dortmund until the end of 2025. His main strength lies in his biology background, identifying what matters at the lab bench and the limiting factors for progress, following a bottom-up approach to bridge gaps between techniques and scientific goals.

Dr. Gabriel Moya

SCIENTIFIC CO-FOUNDER

Thorben holds the Chair for Physical Chemistry I (Biophysical Chemistry) at TU Dortmund University. He earned a chemistry degree from TU Braunschweig and a PhD in physics from LMU Munich. After a postdoc at the University of Oxford, he became group leader and Assistant/Associate Professor of Biophysics at the University of Groningen and LMU Munich. His research focuses on developing and applying novel optical spectroscopy and imaging techniques to map biomolecular structure and function. Current work includes biological applications of single-molecule fluorescence spectroscopy, super-resolution imaging, and the development of fluorescent probes and assays.

Prof. Dr. Thorben Cordes