Releasing the complexity of biological interactions or organs from the constraints of an animal/human body will enable a plethora of analytical possibilities. An emerging platform that has the potential to achieve this is “organ on a chip” technology. This technology organizes functional organ units on a microfluidic platform allowing both real time manipulations and functional readouts. “Organ on a chip” technology is in its infancy, but is predicted to have a game changing impact on drug development and validation, hybrid-technology development, as well as personalization of therapeutic reagents.
“Organ on a chip” development requires flexible integration of complex and rapidly emerging technologies. It also requires extremely careful quality control to obtain truly predictive data. Our goal is (i) to develop “platform” technologies that allow the integration of organoid development, nano-sensors, and imaging tools on a microfluidic platform, (ii) to develop a personalized chip containing core metabolism regulating organoids (iii) to interrogate the chip with novel experimental pathway modulators.
For this purpose we have assembled world-class academic leaders in nano-sensor technology, imaging, nano-materials, microfluidics, hiPS cell technology, developmental biology, chemical biology, bioinformatics and ethics.
Group photo from the centre retreat at Lysebu November 2022.