The ‘Lab-on-a-chip’ technology means to carry out a single or multiple laboratory function on a single chip. This technology has been adopted by many players in the pharmaceuticals and life sciences industry. LAB Worldwide goes one step further to discuss another revolutionary technology i.e. the organ-on-a-chip technology along with its multiple advantages for the drug discovery and development process.

Tosoh’s 2.5D Cell Culture System is capable of simplifying the culturing of large quantities of uniformly sized cell masses by making use of an adhesion area to which only uniform spherical cells attach. The system proves beneficial for the purpose of drug discovery as well as regenerative medicine.

Scientists at the UT Southwestern (UTSW) Medical Center and the University of London have determined the structure of Type IV secretion system (T4SS), a protein complex which is a key player in antibiotic resistance. A computational biologist at UTSW makes use of machine learning to discover the 3D structure of T4SS.

Usually, electronic devices consist of circuit boards that are bulky and difficult to recycle. Researchers have now developed a prototype of a paper-based circuit board that is flexible, thin and one that can be completely disposed of after usage.

Scientists have measured the highest toughness ever recorded, of any material, while investigating a metallic alloy made of chromium, cobalt, and nickel (CrCoNi). Not only is the metal extremely ductile — which, in materials science, means highly malleable — and impressively strong, its strength and ductility improve as it gets colder. This runs counter to most other materials in existence.

Imagine a future in which you could 3D-print an entire robot or stretchy, electronic medical device with the press of a button —no tedious hours spent assembling parts by hand. That possibility may be closer than ever thanks to a recent advancement in 3D-printing technology led by engineers at CU Boulder.

Chemists in Japan, Canada and Europe have uncovered flaws in the surface structure of cellulose nanocrystals — an important step toward deconstructing cellulose to produce renewable nano-materials relevant to biochemical products, energy solutions, and biofuels.

Researchers have developed a new ultrasensitive biosensor which has the potential to detect minute amounts of tumor-derived materials, such as nucleic acids, proteins and lipids. Molecular profiles are then generated for each sample and analyzed to detect a brain tumor and define its type, as well as predict its location within the brain.

Laboratories across the globe are making use of smart technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI)—in line with the ‘Industry 4.0’ concept—due to its numerous advantages as well as to keep up with today’s changing and demanding market requirements. One of the most crucial aspects of the AI technology for laboratories is its ability to analyze large sets of data and also recommend the best possible solutions for developing innovative and at times revolutionary products.

Scientists at Inserm, CNRS and the Université de Montpellier at the Structural Biology Center in Montpellier, France have built a small robot entirely from DNA and are using it to study cell processes that are invisible to the naked eye.