Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2021
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Basis of Presentation	Basis of presentation The accompanying unaudited condensed financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (GAAP) for interim financial information and pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for interim financial reporting. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by GAAP for complete financial statements. These unaudited condensed financial statements include all adjustments necessary to fairly state the financial position and the results of our operations and cash flows for interim periods in accordance with GAAP. All such adjustments are of a normal, recurring nature. Operating results for the three months ended March 31, 2021 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ending December 31, 2021 or for any future period. The condensed balance sheet presented as of December 31, 2020, has been derived from the audited financial statements as of that date. The condensed financial statements and notes are presented do not contain all information that is included in the annual financial statements and notes thereto of the Company. The condensed financial statements and notes included in this report should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and notes included in the Company’s 2020 Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC.
Use of Estimates	Use of estimates The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make judgments, estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and accompanying notes. These estimates form the basis for judgments the Company makes about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. The Company bases its estimates and judgments on historical experience and on various other assumptions that the Company believes are reasonable under the circumstances. These estimates are based on management’s knowledge about current events and expectations about actions the Company may undertake in the future. Significant estimates include, but are not limited to, recovery of long-lived assets, stock-based compensation expense, research and development accruals, the measurement of right-of-use assets and lease liabilities, uncertain tax positions, and the fair value of common stock prior to the Company’s IPO. Actual results could vary from the amounts derived from management’s estimates and assumptions.
Reclassifications	Reclassifications The accompanying condensed balance sheet as of December 31, 2020 reflects the Company’s reclassification of accrued compensation out of accrued expenses and other liabilities to conform with current year presentation.
Deferred Initial Public Offering Costs	Deferred initial public offering costs The Company capitalizes certain direct incremental legal, consulting, banking and accounting fees primarily relating to the Company’s IPO. After consummation of the IPO, which closed on February 17, 2021, these costs were recorded in stockholders' equity as a reduction of additional paid-in capital. As of December 31, 2020, the Company recorded deferred offering costs of $2.4 million recorded within other current assets on the balance sheet.
Restricted Cash	Restricted Cash Restricted cash consists of cash that serves as collateral for the Company’s standby letters of credit (see Note 5). Any cash that is legally restricted from use is classified as restricted cash. If the purpose of restricted cash relates to acquiring a long-term asset, liquidating a long-term liability, or is otherwise unavailable for a period longer than one year from the balance sheet date, the restricted cash is classified as a long term asset, otherwise, restricted cash is included in current assets in the balance sheet.
Concentration of Credit Risk and Other Risks and Uncertainties	Concentration of credit risk and other risks and uncertainties Financial instruments which potentially subject the Company to concentrations of credit risk consist primarily of cash, restricted cash, and grant receivables. The Company’s cash is deposited in accounts at large financial institutions. The Company believes it is not exposed to significant credit risk due to the financial strength of the depository institutions in which the cash is held and government grant funded nature of the Company’s grant receivables. The Company is subject to risks common to companies in the diagnostics industry including, but not limited to, uncertainties related to commercialization of products, regulatory approvals, and protection of intellectual property rights. In December 2019, a novel strain of coronavirus, which causes the disease known as COVID-19, was reported to have surfaced in Wuhan, China. Since then, COVID-19 coronavirus has spread globally. In March 2020, the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic has and may continue to impact the Company’s third-party manufacturers and suppliers, which could disrupt its supply chain or the availability or cost of materials. The effects of the public health directives and the Company’s work-from-home policies may negatively impact productivity, disrupt its business and delay clinical programs and timelines and future clinical trials, the magnitude of which will depend, in part, on the length and severity of the restrictions and other limitations on the Company’s ability to conduct business in the ordinary course. These and similar, and perhaps more severe, disruptions in the Company’s operations could negatively impact business, results of operations and financial condition, including its ability to obtain financing. To date, the Company has not incurred impairment losses in the carrying values of its assets as a result of the pandemic and is not aware of any specific related event or circumstance that would require the Company to revise its estimates reflected in these condensed financial statements. The Company has developed its COVID-19 test in direct response to the pandemic and has been awarded a contract from the NIH for Phase 2 of its Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics (RADx) initiative. These developments may mitigate risks that could affect the Company’s ability to complete its clinical trials in a timely manner, delay the initiation and/or enrollment of any future clinical trials, disrupt regulatory activities or have other adverse effects on its business and operations. The Company cannot be certain what the overall impact of the COVID-19 pandemic will be on its business and prospects. The extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic will further directly or indirectly impact its business, results of operations, financial condition and liquidity, including planned and future clinical trials and research and development costs, will depend on future developments that are highly uncertain, including as a result of new information that may emerge concerning COVID-19, the actions taken to contain or treat it, and the duration and intensity of the related effects. In addition, the Company could see some limitations on employee resources that would otherwise be focused on its operation, including but not limited to sickness of employees or their families, the desire of employees to avoid contact with large groups of people, and increased reliance on working from home. If the financial markets and/or the overall economy are impacted for an extended period, the Company’s business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may be adversely affected.
Income Taxes	Income Taxes On March 11, 2021, the President signed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) into law. ARPA includes several provisions, such as measures that extend and expand the employee retention credit, previously enacted under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), through December 31, 2021. The enactment of ARPA did not have a material impact on our condensed financial statements.
Research and Development Costs	Research and development costs Research and development costs are expensed as incurred. Research and development expenses include certain payroll and personnel expenses, laboratory supplies, consulting costs, external contract research and development expenses, allocated overhead and facility occupancy costs. Costs to develop the Company’s technologies, including software, are recorded as research and development expense except for costs that meet the criteria to be capitalized as internal-use software costs. The Company does not capitalize pre-launch inventory costs until future commercialization is considered probable and the future economic benefit is expected to be realized. Capitalizing pre-launch inventory costs will not occur prior to obtaining an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) or other U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) marketing authorization unless the regulatory review process has progressed to a point that objective and persuasive evidence of regulatory approval is sufficiently probable, and future economic benefit can be asserted. The Company records such costs as research and development expenses, or if used in marketing evaluations records such costs as selling, general and administrative expenses. In 2020, the Company began developing production lines to automate the production of its Talis One cartridges for the COVID-19 assay with the intention to scale-up its manufacturing capabilities to meet the high demand expected in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Approximately $69.5 million of the high capacity production equipment acquired as part of the Company’s effort to scale-up its manufacturing capacity, is highly specialized for the manufacturing of the Company’s Talis One cartridges and was determined not to have an alternative future use, of which $28.6 million had been incurred in the three months ending March 31, 2021. All materials, equipment, and external consulting costs associated with developing aspects of the production line that do not have an alternative future use are expensed as research and development costs until regulatory approval is obtained. Materials, equipment, and external consulting costs associated with developing aspects of the production line that are deemed to have an alternative future use are capitalized as property and equipment, assessed for impairment and depreciated over their related useful lives. These research and development costs, including expenditures for property and equipment with no alternative future use, are classified as operating cash outflows within the Company’s statements of cash flows. The Company makes estimates of its accrued expenses as of each balance sheet date in its financial statements based on facts and circumstances at that time. The Company periodically confirms the accuracy of its estimates with the service providers and makes adjustments if necessary. Although the Company does not expect its estimates to be materially different from amounts actually incurred, the Company’s understanding of the status and timing of services performed relative to the actual status and timing of services performed may vary and may result in reporting amounts that are too high or too low in any particular period. To date, there have not been any material adjustments to the Company’s prior estimates of accrued research and development expenses.
Convertible Preferred Stock	Convertible preferred stock The Company records convertible preferred stock at fair value on the dates of issuance, net of issuance costs. The Company has classified its historical convertible preferred stock, which are redeemable, as temporary equity in the accompanying balance sheets due to terms that allow for redemption of the shares into the Company’s common stock. The Company has classified Series 1 convertible preferred stock and Series 2 non-voting convertible preferred stock as permanent equity in the accompanying condensed balance sheets, as they meet the criteria for permanent equity classification and the liquidation value is de minimis. The Company also evaluates the features of its convertible preferred stock to determine if the features require bifurcation from the underlying shares by evaluating if they are clearly and closely related to the underlying shares and if they do, or do not, meet the definition of a derivative.
Net Loss Per Share	Net loss per share Basic net loss per share is computed by dividing the net loss by the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the period, without consideration of potential dilutive securities. The convertible preferred stock are participating securities but because they do not have the obligation to share in the loss of the Company, are excluded from the calculation of basic earnings per share. Stock options, convertible preferred stock, and shares estimated to be purchased under the Company’s employee stock purchase plan (ESPP) are considered potentially dilutive common stock. The Company computes diluted net loss per share after giving consideration to all potentially dilutive common stock outstanding during the period, determined using the treasury-stock and if-converted methods, except where the effect of including such securities would be antidilutive. For the period ended March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, the Company reported a net loss. The potentially dilutive common stock would have been anti-dilutive and therefore basic and diluted loss per share attributable to common stockholders were the same.
Comprehensive Loss	Comprehensive loss Comprehensive loss is defined as the change in equity of a business enterprise during a period from transactions and other events and circumstances from non-owner sources. The Company did not have any other comprehensive income or loss for either period presented, and therefore comprehensive loss was the same as the Company’s net loss.
New Accounting Pronouncements	New Accounting Pronouncements Recently adopted accounting standards In August 2020, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2020-06 (ASU 2020-06) Debt - Debt with Conversion and Other Options (Subtopic 470-20) and Derivatives and Hedging - Contracts in Entity’s Own Equity (Subtopic 815-40). ASU 2020-06 removes certain bifurcation models for convertible debt instruments and convertible preferred stock. ASU 2020-06 eliminates certain models that require separate accounting for embedded conversion features, in certain cases. In addition, the amendments expand disclosure requirements for convertible instruments and simplify areas of the guidance for diluted earnings-per-share calculations that are impacted by the amendments. For public business entities, the guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2021, including interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted, but no earlier than fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2020. The guidance is to be applied using either a full retrospective or modified retrospective method. The Company early adopted ASU 2020-06 on January 1, 2021, with no impact on its financial position, results of operations or cash flows. Accounting standards issued but not yet adopted In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments – Credit Losses (ASU 2016-13) to require the measurement of expected credit losses for financial instruments held at the reporting date based on historical experience, current conditions and reasonable forecasts. The main objective of this ASU is to provide financial statement users with more decision-useful information about the expected credit losses on financial instruments and other commitments to extend credit held by a reporting entity at each reporting date. As a result of the Company having elected the extended transition period for complying with new or revised accounting standards pursuant to Section 107(b) of the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2021 (JOBS Act), and assuming the Company continues to be considered an emerging growth company, ASU 2016-13 will be effective for the Company on January 1, 2023. The Company has not yet determined the potential effects of ASU 2016-13 on its financial statements and disclosures.

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2021

Basis of presentation

The accompanying unaudited condensed financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (GAAP) for interim financial information and pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for interim financial reporting. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by GAAP for complete financial statements. These unaudited condensed financial statements include all adjustments necessary to fairly state the financial position and the results of our operations and cash flows for interim periods in accordance with GAAP. All such adjustments are of a normal, recurring nature. Operating results for the three months ended March 31, 2021 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ending December 31, 2021 or for any future period.

The condensed balance sheet presented as of December 31, 2020, has been derived from the audited financial statements as of that date. The condensed financial statements and notes are presented do not contain all information that is included in the annual financial statements and notes thereto of the Company. The condensed financial statements and notes included in this report should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and notes included in the Company’s 2020 Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC.

Use of Estimates

Use of estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make judgments, estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and accompanying notes. These estimates form the basis for judgments the Company makes about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. The Company bases its estimates and judgments on historical experience and on various other assumptions that the Company believes are reasonable under the circumstances. These estimates are based on management’s knowledge about current events and expectations about actions the Company may undertake in the future. Significant estimates include, but are not limited to, recovery of long-lived assets, stock-based compensation expense, research and development accruals, the measurement of right-of-use assets and lease liabilities, uncertain tax positions, and the fair value of common stock prior to the Company’s IPO. Actual results could vary from the amounts derived from management’s estimates and assumptions.

Reclassifications

The accompanying condensed balance sheet as of December 31, 2020 reflects the Company’s reclassification of accrued compensation out of accrued expenses and other liabilities to conform with current year presentation.

Deferred Initial Public Offering Costs

Deferred initial public offering costs

The Company capitalizes certain direct incremental legal, consulting, banking and accounting fees primarily relating to the Company’s IPO. After consummation of the IPO, which closed on February 17, 2021, these costs were recorded in stockholders' equity as a reduction of additional paid-in capital. As of December 31, 2020, the Company recorded deferred offering costs of $2.4 million recorded within other current assets on the balance sheet.

Restricted Cash

Restricted cash consists of cash that serves as collateral for the Company’s standby letters of credit (see Note 5). Any cash that is legally restricted from use is classified as restricted cash. If the purpose of restricted cash relates to acquiring a long-term asset, liquidating a long-term liability, or is otherwise unavailable for a period longer than one year from the balance sheet date, the restricted cash is classified as a long term asset, otherwise, restricted cash is included in current assets in the balance sheet.

Concentration of Credit Risk and Other Risks and Uncertainties

Concentration of credit risk and other risks and uncertainties

Financial instruments which potentially subject the Company to concentrations of credit risk consist primarily of cash, restricted cash, and grant receivables. The Company’s cash is deposited in accounts at large financial institutions. The Company believes it is not exposed to significant credit risk due to the financial strength of the depository institutions in which the cash is held and government grant funded nature of the Company’s grant receivables.

The Company is subject to risks common to companies in the diagnostics industry including, but not limited to, uncertainties related to commercialization of products, regulatory approvals, and protection of intellectual property rights.

In December 2019, a novel strain of coronavirus, which causes the disease known as COVID-19, was reported to have surfaced in Wuhan, China. Since then, COVID-19 coronavirus has spread globally. In March 2020, the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic has and may continue to impact the Company’s third-party manufacturers and suppliers, which could disrupt its supply chain or the availability or cost of materials. The effects of the public health directives and the Company’s work-from-home policies may negatively impact productivity, disrupt its business and delay clinical programs and timelines and future clinical trials, the magnitude of which will depend, in part, on the length and severity of the restrictions and other limitations on the Company’s ability to conduct business in the ordinary course. These and similar, and perhaps more severe, disruptions in the Company’s operations could negatively impact business, results of operations and financial condition, including its ability to obtain financing. To date, the Company has not incurred impairment losses in the carrying values of its assets as a result of the pandemic and is not aware of any specific related event or circumstance that would require the Company to revise its estimates reflected in these condensed financial statements.

The Company has developed its COVID-19 test in direct response to the pandemic and has been awarded a contract from the NIH for Phase 2 of its Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics (RADx) initiative. These developments may mitigate risks that could affect the Company’s ability to complete its clinical trials in a timely manner, delay the initiation and/or enrollment of any future clinical trials, disrupt regulatory activities or have other adverse effects on its business and operations.

The Company cannot be certain what the overall impact of the COVID-19 pandemic will be on its business and prospects. The extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic will further directly or indirectly impact its business, results of operations, financial condition and liquidity, including planned and future clinical trials and research and development costs, will depend on future developments that are highly uncertain, including as a result of new information that may emerge concerning COVID-19, the actions taken to contain or treat it, and the duration and intensity of the related effects. In addition, the Company could see some limitations on employee resources that would otherwise be focused on its operation, including but not limited to sickness of employees or their families, the desire of employees to avoid contact with large groups of people, and increased reliance on working from home. If the financial markets and/or the overall economy are impacted for an extended period, the Company’s business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may be adversely affected.

Income Taxes

On March 11, 2021, the President signed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) into law. ARPA includes several provisions, such as measures that extend and expand the employee retention credit, previously enacted under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), through December 31, 2021. The enactment of ARPA did not have a material impact on our condensed financial statements.

Research and Development Costs

Research and development costs

Research and development costs are expensed as incurred. Research and development expenses include certain payroll and personnel expenses, laboratory supplies, consulting costs, external contract research and development expenses, allocated overhead and facility occupancy costs. Costs to develop the Company’s technologies, including software, are recorded as research and development expense except for costs that meet the criteria to be capitalized as internal-use software costs.

The Company does not capitalize pre-launch inventory costs until future commercialization is considered probable and the future economic benefit is expected to be realized. Capitalizing pre-launch inventory costs will not occur prior to obtaining an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) or other U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) marketing authorization unless the regulatory review process has progressed to a point that objective and persuasive evidence of regulatory approval is sufficiently probable, and future economic benefit can be asserted. The Company records such costs as research and development expenses, or if used in marketing evaluations records such costs as selling, general and administrative expenses.

In 2020, the Company began developing production lines to automate the production of its Talis One cartridges for the COVID-19 assay with the intention to scale-up its manufacturing capabilities to meet the high demand expected in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Approximately $69.5 million of the high capacity production equipment acquired as part of the Company’s effort to scale-up its manufacturing capacity, is highly specialized for the manufacturing of the Company’s Talis One cartridges and was determined not to have an alternative future use, of which $28.6 million had been incurred in the three months ending March 31, 2021. All materials, equipment, and external consulting costs associated with developing aspects of the production line that do not have an alternative future use are expensed as research and development costs until regulatory approval is obtained. Materials, equipment, and external consulting costs associated with developing aspects of the production line that are deemed to have an alternative future use are capitalized as property and equipment, assessed for impairment and depreciated over their related useful lives. These research and development costs, including expenditures for property and equipment with no alternative future use, are classified as operating cash outflows within the Company’s statements of cash flows.

The Company makes estimates of its accrued expenses as of each balance sheet date in its financial statements based on facts and circumstances at that time. The Company periodically confirms the accuracy of its estimates with the service providers and makes adjustments if necessary. Although the Company does not expect its estimates to be materially different from amounts actually incurred, the Company’s understanding of the status and timing of services performed relative to the actual status and timing of services performed may vary and may result in reporting amounts that are too high or too low in any particular period. To date, there have not been any material adjustments to the Company’s prior estimates of accrued research and development expenses.

Convertible Preferred Stock

Convertible preferred stock

The Company records convertible preferred stock at fair value on the dates of issuance, net of issuance costs. The Company has classified its historical convertible preferred stock, which are redeemable, as temporary equity in the accompanying balance sheets due to terms that allow for redemption of the shares into the Company’s common stock. The Company has classified Series 1 convertible preferred stock and Series 2 non-voting convertible preferred stock as permanent equity in the accompanying condensed balance sheets, as they meet the criteria for permanent equity classification and the liquidation value is de minimis. The Company also evaluates the features of its convertible preferred stock to determine if the features require bifurcation from the underlying shares by evaluating if they are clearly and closely related to the underlying shares and if they do, or do not, meet the definition of a derivative.

Net Loss Per Share

Net loss per share

Basic net loss per share is computed by dividing the net loss by the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the period, without consideration of potential dilutive securities. The convertible preferred stock are participating securities but because they do not have the obligation to share in the loss of the Company, are excluded from the calculation of basic earnings per share. Stock options, convertible preferred stock, and shares estimated to be purchased under the Company’s employee stock purchase plan (ESPP) are considered potentially dilutive common stock. The Company computes diluted net loss per share after giving consideration to all potentially dilutive common stock outstanding during the period, determined using the treasury-stock and if-converted methods, except where the effect of including such securities would be antidilutive.

For the period ended March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, the Company reported a net loss. The potentially dilutive common stock would have been anti-dilutive and therefore basic and diluted loss per share attributable to common stockholders were the same.

Comprehensive Loss

Comprehensive loss

Comprehensive loss is defined as the change in equity of a business enterprise during a period from transactions and other events and circumstances from non-owner sources. The Company did not have any other comprehensive income or loss for either period presented, and therefore comprehensive loss was the same as the Company’s net loss.

New Accounting Pronouncements

Recently adopted accounting standards

In August 2020, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2020-06 (ASU 2020-06) Debt - Debt with Conversion and Other Options (Subtopic 470-20) and Derivatives and Hedging - Contracts in Entity’s Own Equity (Subtopic 815-40). ASU 2020-06 removes certain bifurcation models for convertible debt instruments and convertible preferred stock. ASU 2020-06 eliminates certain models that require separate accounting for embedded conversion features, in certain cases. In addition, the amendments expand disclosure requirements for convertible instruments and simplify areas of the guidance for diluted earnings-per-share calculations that are impacted by the amendments. For public business entities, the guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2021, including interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted, but no earlier than fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2020. The guidance is to be applied using either a full retrospective or modified retrospective method. The Company early adopted ASU 2020-06 on January 1, 2021, with no impact on its financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

Accounting standards issued but not yet adopted

In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments – Credit Losses (ASU 2016-13) to require the measurement of expected credit losses for financial instruments held at the reporting date based on historical experience, current conditions and reasonable forecasts. The main objective of this ASU is to provide financial statement users with more decision-useful information about the expected credit losses on financial instruments and other commitments to extend credit held by a reporting entity at each reporting date. As a result of the Company having elected the extended transition period for complying with new or revised accounting standards pursuant to Section 107(b) of the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2021 (JOBS Act), and assuming the Company continues to be considered an emerging growth company, ASU 2016-13 will be effective for the Company on January 1, 2023. The Company has not yet determined the potential effects of ASU 2016-13 on its financial statements and disclosures.