Acute Kidney Injury, or AKI, is a rapid decline in kidney function that affects hospitalized patients, surgical patients, individuals with infections, and those with chronic conditions such as diabetes. Diagnosis currently relies heavily on serum creatinine, a marker that often rises only after significant kidney damage has already occurred. This delay limits early intervention and contributes to increased mortality, prolonged hospital stays, and long-term complications such as chronic kidney disease.
ReNgal is Chimera’s electrochemical lateral flow NGAL biosensor designed to detect AKI earlier by targeting Neutrophil Gelatinase Associated Lipocalin (NGAL), an established early biomarker that rises hours before creatinine following kidney injury. By combining antibody-based NGAL capture and detection with an enzymatic electrochemical readout, ReNgal provides a rapid, portable, and clinically accessible method for early kidney injury detection.
Our project focuses on reducing diagnostic turnaround time while maintaining clinical reliability. The lateral flow format allows ease of use, while the electrochemical component enhances sensitivity compared to traditional visual test strips. This makes ReNgal suitable for emergency departments, intensive care units, and potentially outpatient monitoring settings.
To validate our device, we are collaborating to obtain clinical samples through MDS, enabling us to test real patient specimens and compare NGAL measurements against existing creatinine-based diagnostics. Our validation plan includes sensitivity and specificity analysis, calibration curve optimization, and benchmarking against current laboratory standards.
The long-term vision for ReNgal is scalable deployment within hospital systems to enable earlier clinical decision making, reduce progression to chronic kidney disease, and lower healthcare burden. By integrating biomarker science, electrochemical sensing, and accessible design, ReNgal aims to shift AKI detection from reactive to preventive.
ReNgal is not just a diagnostic device. It is a step toward giving clinicians time to act, and patients a better chance at recovery.

Acute Kidney Injury, or AKI, is sudden, silent, and often detected only after significant damage has already occurred. Most diagnoses still rely on creatinine, a marker that rises hours to days after kidney injury begins. That delay can mean irreversible damage, longer hospital stays, and increased risk of death.
ReNgal is Chimera’s electrochemical lateral flow NGAL biosensor designed to detect kidney injury earlier, when intervention can still change the outcome. By targeting NGAL, an early biomarker shown in clinical research to rise before creatinine, ReNgal aims to shorten diagnostic time and support faster, more informed clinical decisions.
Developed for the MindFuel competition, ReNgal represents our commitment to transforming research into practical, scalable healthcare innovation.
Early detection saves time.
Time protects kidneys.
Kidneys save lives.