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Updated: August 11, 2025

Growing biotech startup is establishing itself in a niche market

A brick building with a parking lot and glass entryway. Photo / Courtesy Colliers of Maine Gotham Biotech’s lease at 6 Main St. in Gray is a straight shot to the highway, an important consideration for overnight shipping of the perishable products.
By Laurie Schreiber

A biotech startup that’s developing tests for certain respiratory diseases recently found a good spot to set up an independent lab in the Cumberland County town of Gray.

Gotham Biotech LLC leased 750 square feet of office space at 6 Main St. in Gray from Centered Properties LLC. 

Abby Woodman from Colliers of Maine brokered the lease.

The leased space is at One Gray Center, located on Route 202 (Main Street), in downtown Gray. The lease was marketed as an excellent location close to I-95, Exit 63 and downtown amenities such as shops and restaurants.

Gotham was previously in a shared lab space at 44 Caddie Lane in Portland, 15 miles south of the Gray location

“We reached maximum capacity, especially for manufacturing purposes,” said Andre Albert, the company’s chief scientific officer.

Lab tests

Gotham Biotech specializes in developing certain types of laboratory tests, called assays, to support medical diagnostics and to collaborate on research and development projects.

Albert has been in the biotech industry for 30 years and has been involved in the launch and commercialization of numerous rapid medical diagnostics and agricultural testing products. His specialty is in respiratory disease diagnostics. 

A table has stuff on it.
Photo / Courtesy Colliers of Maine
Fit-up is still underway in the 750-square-foot lease, which provides enough space for test development and assembly.

He started Gotham Biotech with Timothy Crane, a medical devices professional, who provided early financing, said Albert. The small company has grown organically since then.

“There was a need in the market for specific medical devices for the detection of fungal disease,” mainly pneumonia,” Albert said.

Customers

Albert designed assays for the detection of agents that cause the diseases of concern and developed associations with ARUP Laboratories in Salt Lake City, Utah, and Mayo Clinic Laboratories at its Rochester, Minn., location to evaluate the assays.

ARUP was the first to validate the product’s effectiveness for its clinical operation, Albert said. Mayo was next. Both are now regular customers. 

“We’re starting to add other customers,” he said.

Test kits

Many labs send their clinical samples to other specialty labs to run assays, he said.

A person poses for a headshot.
Photo / Courtesy Gotham Biotech
Andre Albert

Gotham’s product allows sampling labs to run the tests themselves.

Gotham assembles testing kits that include a plate with wells that are coated with the particular antibody used to detect the pathogenic agent in question. The plates are pouched to keep them dry, other components are included and the kits are packed in foam boxes with ice packs and sent to customers via overnight shipping.

Typically, the lab produces 100 to 150 kits per month.

The company consists of Albert and Crane, but employees might be added shortly for the manufacturing side.

“For one person to do 150 kits is not too bad, but might be more difficult as we grow,” said Albert.

Local and small

The Gray lease met Albert’s search requirements.

“I live in Gray, so I wanted something local and small, that I could access 24/7 so I could troubleshoot for customers,” he said. “I saw a sign outside of the building and called Colliers.”

Fit-up for prep and assembly areas is still underway, but the company is up and running there.

“It’s in a good location, a straight shot to the highway,” he said. 

The Mayo Clinic published a paper about Gotham’s products, generating interest from other potential customers, noted Albert.

The lab’s products serve a niche market. 

“It’s not widespread diseases, but they’re serious, especially in people who are immunocompromised,” he said. 

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