Merging Science & Business

Photos by Jennifer Goetz

Sam Al-Murrani has parlayed a lifelong interest in human and animal health into two Topeka companies, Bimini Pet Health and LifeTech Diagnostics.

Raised by two educators in the United Kingdom, Al-Murrani often accompanied his father, a veterinarian and professor of genetics and biostatistics, on visits to his lab where Al-Murrani helped sort newborn mice into males and females.

“I would ask why he was pairing a white mouse with a brown mouse or whatever he was doing and our discussions about his work intrigued me,” he said.

That early imprinting influenced his career trajectory, which included earning an undergraduate degree in animal science and a doctorate degree in immunology and biochemistry from the University of Edinburgh. He completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute at Vanderbilt University and worked as an assistant professor at Penn State College of Medicine, where he conducted independent research on ovarian cancer, diabetes and heart failure. He later worked at Hill’s Pet Nutrition, establishing a program to use genomics research techniques to shape diets for dogs and cats.

A lifelong learner, the entrepreneur also earned an MBA from Baker University, a helpful complement to his science background and beneficial in creating startups dedicated to health and wellness.

BIMINI PET HEALTH

Bimini Pet Health began as a private label contract manufacturer of pet health supplements and treats in 2018. The company launched a $1.1 million expansion in 2019 with an assist from the Joint Economic Development Organization and has since evolved into an 11,000-square-foot, cGMP-certified, USDA-inspected and FDA-registered facility. Twelve employees produce products that support brands owned by other companies.

“I realized that I’m better at making things than selling them, so we made a change and became a contract manufacturer for other brands instead of trying to develop our own,” said Al Murrani. “That decision put us in a growth mode.”

Al-Murrani said plans are underway to eventually develop unique ingredients and blends to offer client companies and other pet and human health supplement manufacturers.

Bimini’s revenue stream enabled him and his partners to launch LifeTech Diagnostics in August 2020. The Topeka diagnostics lab is accredited by the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments and offers commercial testing for COVID-19. In addition to infectious and other disease testing, the lab conducts non-invasive prenatal testing to screen for chromosomal abnormalities, blood chemistry and immunoassay checks and diagnostic and non-diagnostic (2D, 3D and 4D) ultrasound imaging. The lab received its first patient samples in December 2020.

Sam Al-Murrani

LIFETECH DIAGNOSTICS

LifeTech Diagnostics, the only small business, independent diagnostics lab in the city, employs two full-time employees and two part-time employees.

“We work with health care providers in Northeast Kansas and the Kansas City metropolitan area to give them local service and fast turnaround times,” he said. “We also take walk-in customers and accept insurance from most major carriers.”

LifeTech Diagnostics recently started a food safety testing lab to detect pathogens such as salmonella, E-coli and mycotoxins in ingredients and finished goods for human and animal food manufacturers, restaurants, schools and other businesses where food is prepared and served.

The company is also in discussions for additional clinical trial testing opportunities.

Al-Murrani’s entrepreneurial aspirations began in 2012 when he began formulating a business plan that could fully integrate his human and animal health background and business education.

“I’d tried academia and I’d tried a corporation and I decided I was better suited for working for myself,” he said. “Owning your livelihood is an unparalleled experience, and I really enjoy being able to use my education for an end that produces a tangible product in my hand. It’s gratifying to create and operate brick and mortar companies that are doing things.”

He credits his startups’ success in part to their capital city roots and local resources.

“Topeka is in the center of the country and right smack dab in the middle of the Animal Health Corridor, which represents 56 percent of global animal health, diagnostics and pet food sales,” he said. “City, county and state governments also support small businesses wholeheartedly.”

As a board member of BioKansas and GO Topeka, Al-Murrani said, “I’m in a better position than most entrepreneurs to know about resources, but even I wasn’t aware initially of all the layers of support available at the federal, state and city level for grants and matching funds that are invaluable to entrepreneurs. Efforts are being made to increase awareness so more people can benefit.”

Plug and Play’s animal health vertical in Topeka also offers an advantage for health science entrepreneurs in a growing industry.

“I participated in a Plug and Play summit recently, and there’s so much potential through this resource that will pay dividends for our community,” he said. “I’m eager to see what the next few years will bring for all of us.”