, ,

IamFluidics: New developments in Pharmaceutical research

Engineering high-quality microparticles to create disruptive solutions that improve life quality: that’s what our team at IamFluidics is passionate about. We have a strong focus on technological innovations in microfluidics and materials for different markets, such as pharma and drug delivery.

A feasibility grant from the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) enabled us to start a proof of concept study. This proof of concept is a start to develop our capabilities in the pharmaceutical market. The project aims at the development of controlled-release systems based on PLGA (Poly Lactic-co-Glycolic Acid). This PLGA polymer is the golden standard in long-acting release products in the pharmaceutical market. IamFluidics’ high-quality microencapsulation processes are a perfect match for tuning the injectability and release properties of microparticles with controlling their exact size, shape, and surface area.

Want to know more about the markets we focus our researches and developments on? Make sure you read more about SenSphere, PluriLife and ApiBead and reach out if you want to experience the benefits first-hand. Look out for our latest articles on our social media and website for the latest developments concerning this proof of concept.

Source: IamFluidics news

/by
, , ,

Join the iMNC21 business floor for networking and a company pitch

As we are returning from summer holidays and planning for the second half of 2021, the iMNC21 team looks forward to greet more exhibitors who will present on December 2 and 3, 2021 in Utrecht.

The scientific program has a nice balance between speakers from industry and science on various topic ranging from Nano4Health in diagnostics, Nano4AgriFood to miniaturization and manufacturing in nanotechnology amongst the themes.

Business floor opportunities

Next to the keynote and invited speakers in the conference program, themes, there is room for networking and discussion on the business floor where participants can check demonstrations and meet with technical teams from the sponsors over a cup of coffee.

A pitch session for exhibitors will give all attendees a quick overview of who is presenting at iMNC21 and will make it easier to find the right connection for your next project.

Startup corner

At the iMNC21 we welcome startup companies who will receive a discount price, to make sure that all companies have the opportunity to present at iMNC21. Join Alex Kostenko from Photosynthetic, the Pitch Award winner of the iMNC2020 at the conference this year.

iMNC21 exhibitor benefits

As an exhibitor, you will also have a prominent place on the iMNC21 event website and in the matchmaking program from B2Match. Visibility and expanding your network are important goals that we help our exhibitors to achieve in the months leading up to the conference and at the event.

Will your company join companies like JEOL, Lionix International, MASER Engineering and Bronkhorst at the conference in December? Sign up for your booth today, to make sure you have a spot.

Read more about the exhibitor opportunities here or  download the sponsor brochure direct (pdf).

/by
,

Over 11 million React-EU funds awarded to Kennispark companies and Twente Medtech cluster

Several MedTech initiatives from Twente have been awarded REACT-EU funding. The millions in subsidies will give the relevant companies and researchers in Twente an enormous boost, demonstrate the potential of MedTech in the region and strengthen Kennispark Twente as a MedTech hotspot.

Green light for MedTech Factory

In the MedTech Factory, start-up and fast-growing companies in medical technology will soon have access to high-quality and affordable microbiology labs. They can rent flexible space at the MedTech Factory until they are large enough to have their own building. The concept can be realised by initiators Novel-T and Kennispark Twente with the 3.1 million EFRO subsidy and the contribution already allocated from the RegioDeal via TwenteBoard.

Together with its regional partners, Novel-T recently presented its ambition to give the MedTech cluster in Twente a solid boost in the coming years. In September 2020, Jaap Beernink (CEO of Novel-T) and Eddy van Hijum (member of the Provincial Executive of Overijssel) presented an investment agenda on behalf of the regional cluster to State Secretary Mona Keijzer. On this agenda, affordable lab facilities were high on the priority list.

Anne-Wil Lucas, Area Director of Kennispark: “This grant is fantastic news for the region and Kennispark Twente. Without these subsidies, such facilities would never get off the ground, while they are essential for the continued growth of companies. This will ensure that we can retain Twente’s MedTech companies and attract companies from outside Twente.”

Consortia of knowledge institutes and Twente MedTech companies

In addition to the MedTech Factory, the other REACT-EU awards include various consortia of Twente MedTech companies and the University of Twente. These are collaborations that aim to use medical technology to contribute to an improved and affordable healthcare sector. These projects demonstrate the innovative capacity and power of cooperation within the regional cluster.

Innovations for the treatment of dementia and improved detection of breast cancer

For example, over 1.5 million euros was awarded to the ‘reMIND’ initiative, in which Demcon, Micronit and Locsens are consortium partners. Within reMIND, the parties bring together four different technologies to better treat dementia.

A second consortium, consisting of PA Imaging, Hemabo and the University of Twente in collaboration with Radboud UMC, will receive up to EUR 2.6 million for bringing photo-acoustic mammography to the patient.

A third example is the consortium formed around LioniX International, which includes Bronkhorst High-Tech, SurfiX, Qurin Diagnostics and PHIX. Together they are working on the SensorChip aimed at developing various types of gas, liquid and biosensors. They will receive over EUR 2.5 million for this project.

Finally, the Enschede-based company ILT Fineworks is involved in the industrialisation of the ELENA Heart Technology, for which a maximum of 1.7 million euros has been granted.

Jaap Beernink, CEO of Novel-T: “The award of these REACT-EU grants for both specific innovation projects and for strengthening the facilities in the ecosystem are of great importance for the development of the rapidly growing MedTech cluster in Twente. Innovative growth companies are the driving force behind this. For the region, the impact of these companies is particularly large, both from a social and economic perspective.”

About MedTechTwente

MedTech Twente is the innovation hub where medical technology is accelerating. For the past 15 years, the business community and healthcare institutions have been working closely together with researchers from the knowledge institutions to develop innovations for tomorrow’s healthcare. Innovations are developed, validated and implemented in close cooperation between parties, facilitated and accelerated by supporting organisations such as Novel-T, OostNL, VitaalTwente, HIP, WTC and HealthValley. It is therefore not without reason that successful MedTech companies such as Demcon, Medspray, Micronit, Lipocoat and IAMFluidics were founded and have grown in Twente.

About REACT-EU

The European Union is working with its recovery programme EU Next Generation on a fast, green, digital and resilient recovery of the regional economy. Under the name REACT-EU, 47.5 million euros – of which 5.9 million euros government co-financing – has been made available for the East Netherlands in 2021. This amount will be awarded to projects that have successfully submitted an application by 1 April. These projects must be completed by the end of 2023 so that the regional economy can recover as quickly as possible. The extra money has therefore been made available through the existing EFRO programme OP East 2014-2020. In OP Oost, the provinces of Gelderland and Overijssel work together to stimulate smart, sustainable and future-oriented projects at companies in the East Netherlands.

Source news: Kennispark Twente

/0 Comments/by
,

Parker Labs Leads Investment in Solstice Pharma’s Innovative Ultrasound Contrast Agent

ENSCHEDE, Netherlands & FAIRFIELD, New Jersey, USA, 2nd July 2021 — Solstice Pharmaceuticals has successfully completed its latest round of funding to further the clinical development of its innovative ultrasound contrast agent (UCA). The first-of-its-kind contrast agent uses unique microbubble technology that dramatically enhances image contrast, improves diagnostic accuracy and makes ultrasound more widely applicable for a wide range of diagnostic and therapeutic applications.

The investment comes from a consortium of experienced entrepreneurs and strategic industry partners, led by U.S.-based Parker Laboratories, a worldwide leader in ultrasound products for more than 60 years. The funding marks an important strategic step for Solstice that will enable the company to accelerate clinical translation of the proprietary UCA by demonstrating both patient safety and product versatility.

“This is a unique opportunity for Solstice both in terms of international growth and transitioning to the clinical market,” said managing director Wim van Hoeve. “We look forward to working with an experienced and diverse group of shareholders to accelerate our innovation and boost our international collaborations to establish new and exciting therapeutic and diagnostic applications.”

Unique Microbubble Technology

A key pillar of Solstice’s innovation is its lab-on-a-chip production technology, which enables the contrast agent to be precisely engineered and optimized with tailor-made monodisperse microbubbles for a broad range of specific applications. The novel microfluidic technology provides up to 20 times greater image contrast compared to existing UCAs. This improves the diagnostic accuracy of ultrasound, making it a fast, cost-effective and patient-friendly imaging technique to visualize the structures and details of a patient’s organs.

“We regard the ultrasound imaging market as a primary business segment and an important global growth area,” said Neal Buchalter, president of Parker Laboratories. “The unique technology platform of Solstice can play a pivotal role in increasing the versatility and applicability of ultrasound even further, which was a key factor for our investment in this promising start-up.”

Solstice plans to pursue the diagnosis of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) as the first clinical indication. RCC is the most common type of kidney tumor diagnosed in adults, but one-third of patients are diagnosed too late, after the cancer has already spread to other areas of the body. CT and MRI contrast agents are damaging to the kidneys and therefore contraindicated for diagnosing renal cancers. By improving the diagnostic accuracy of ultrasound imaging, use of Solstice’s unique microbubble contrast agent may enable earlier, more accurate diagnoses of RCC.

Significant Patient Benefits

The technology also promises to have wide applicability in the clinical setting beyond diagnostic imaging, including monitoring blood flows and pressures and localized drug delivery. Many investors were attracted to the diverse range of potential clinical indications for the unique microbubble technology, from patient-friendly diagnostics for young children at the bedside to revolutionary drug delivery systems for neurological diseases.

“There are many important clinical applications for which the contrast agent of Solstice has a unique added value,” said Jan Sigger, a serial-entrepreneur in the medical technology field and Founder of Quirem Medical. “I am confident that, together with the rest of the shareholders, we will realize significant patient benefits by utilizing the full potential of the Solstice microbubble technology.”

InCorpe, in Hengelo (O), and Brouwer Legal, in Enschede, advised Solstice on this financing round.

About Solstice Pharmaceuticals

Solstice Pharmaceuticals is a Dutch company dedicated to creating the next generation of diagnostic and therapeutic ultrasound products. They develop, manufacture and commercialize ultrasound contrast agents to support healthcare professionals in effectively and accurately diagnosing their patients.

www.solsticepharma.com

About Parker Laboratories

Parker Laboratories is a leading global medical products company that develops, manufactures and sells ultrasound and electromedical contact media and accessories, as well as leading lines of instrument cleaners and disinfectants.  A worldwide leader in ultrasound medical products for over 60 years, Parker Laboratories has been consistently at the forefront of technological advances in the industry.  Its flagship product, Aquasonic®100 Ultrasound Transmission Gel, is the world standard for medical ultrasound.

www.parkerlabs.com

About SOLSTICE PHARMACEUTICALS

Solstice Pharmaceuticals is a pharmaceutical company from Twente that focuses on the development and commercialization of the next generation of diagnostic and therapeutic ultrasound products. They develop, manufacture and commercialize ultrasound contrast media to support healthcare professionals in diagnosing their patients effectively and accurately. www.solsticepharma.com.

Read more about Solstice Pharmaceuticals

/0 Comments/by
, , , , , , , , ,

First draft of program iMNC21 published, register now!

The program for the international MicroNanoConference 2021 is well underway with speakers from academia and industry. On December 2 and 3, 2021 we look forward to meeting you on location in Utrecht, at the Jaarbeurs.

This year’s main theme is: From science to market – scale-up in nanotech

With these sub sessions, that you will find in the program:

  • Nano4Health & Life Sciences
  • Nano4Agri& Food
  • Scale-up in nanotechnology
  • Miniturization in nanotechnology
  • Manufacturing in nanotechnology
  • Life after PhD

Tickets are now available at an early bird rate and it is now also possible to submit an abstract for either a poster or oral presentation at the conference. Read more about the program, tickets and abstract submission on the iMNC21 website.

For companies who would like to both support the micro- nano community and also showcase their company to this community, sponsor and exhibitor opportunities will be published soon.

Read more: micronanoconference.org

/0 Comments/by
, , ,

Surfix Press release New investment in light-powered biosensor

New investment in light-powered biosensor accelerates the availability of high quality – low cost tests for early detection of cancer, Covid-19 and other diseases

 Surfix announces an investment of € 8,5 million by a Dutch consortium consisting of companies Qurin Diagnostics and LioniX International, industry accelerator PhotonDelta and the East Netherlands Development Agency Oost NL for further development of Surfix’s plug-and-play diagnostics platform.

Surfix will use the investment to accelerate the development of its fast, reliable and attractive plug-and-play diagnostics platform for all sorts of point-of-care tests. The initial target applications are early cancer diagnosis, Covid-19 detection and tracing of pathogens in water for aquaculture. 

 Wageningen, The Netherlands, May 25th, 2021

Low cost tests available for the masses

The global Covid-19 pandemic underlines the need for fast and reliable point-of-care diagnostics anytime and anywhere. Also in areas where there is no hospital, clinic or trained medical staff available. A sample taken from the patient is tested on the spot, next to the hospital bed, in the doctor’s office or even at home. Within minutes the result is visible and appropriate action can be taken. It is convenient, in some cases lifesaving, and there is no time-consuming and expensive laboratory work or equipment involved. The availability of a quick and reliable test would mean a huge step forward in the fight against the current and future pandemics. The ultimate goal for Surfix is to make a test that is available for the masses and at the cost of only a few euros.

Unique diagnostics platform

The biosensor of Surfix consists of two significant elements: the most crucial part is the chip in which the actual sensing occurs. The other part is the microfluidics part, in which the biological assay takes place in a small sample volume.

In the sensing part light passes through the chip (comparable to a minuscule glass-fiber spiral) instead of electricity. Biomolecules attached to the surface of the chip can catch other biomolecules out of a sample (for instance blood or urine), based on biorecognition. This causes a change in the properties of the light that is traveling through the chip, which can be detected and read by the sensor system. This change is a measure of  the presence of the biomolecule in the sample one is looking for.

Before entering the sensing part of the sensor, any sample needs to be processed (comparable to a very small laboratory). This takes place in microfluidic channels which feed the sample into the sensing part.

For the sensing part Surfix has developed unique nano-coatings which enable the binding of biomolecules and enhance the sensitivity of the sensor, while the microfluidic part is covered with a different nano-coating that repels biomolecules and enhances the flow of the sample through the microfluidic channels.

The plug-and-play diagnostics platform can be used to detect viruses, DNA and RNA, proteins like antibodies and antigens, and other biomolecules.

Combination of Dutch technology

The plug-and-play diagnostics platform combines LioniX’s integrated photonics chip with Surfix’s nanocoatings for the proper functioning of both the sensing part and the microfluidics part. Integrated photonics is a revolutionary technology that allows the development of chips that can sense, capture and process huge amounts of data with light instead of electricity. Using light means that new types of devices and systems such as biosensors can be created that are radically cheaper, faster, smaller, more robust and reliable while using less energy. Qurin will be the launching customer for the platform in the field of cancer diagnostics in a screening setting on a regular basis for the entire adult population. This way Surfix hopes to contribute to the early detection and cure of the cancer patient. Qurin’s novel biomarker technology aims to detect most if not all  cancer types in urine, including lung cancer and cancer of the large bowel.

 

Maarten Buijs, CEO of Surfix, is excited about the investment: “With this development, we have deepened our relationship with parent companies LioniX and Qurin, both University of Twente spin-offs. With OostNL and PhotonDelta  on board our drive is to bring point-of-care diagnostics to the next level. In combination with the network and experience of the two Dutch public-private organizations, the leading-edge integrated photonics technology of LioniX and the medical knowledge of Qurin, the investment will allow us to take on the industrialization of our solution and clinically validate the exciting results in biomarker detection obtained to date”.

Senior Investment Manager Tech Pieter Klinkert of Oost NL shares the excitement: “The solution of Surfix supports the important ecosystem of photonic biochips and microfluidics which Oost NL acknowledges as key enabling technologies. Surfix can realize a breakthrough in the field of diagnostics based on photonics. Surfix is a spin-off company of Wageningen University & Research and is actively collaborating with WUR and the photonics cluster in Twente. This makes it a perfect fit for the network around photonics and MedTech in the east of the Netherlands”.

/0 Comments/by
,

LUMICKS to return COVID-related relief funding to Dutch and US governments

Funds played a key role in positioning LUMICKS for future success  

Amsterdam, the Netherlands — May 18, 2021 — LUMICKS, a leading next generation life science tools company renowned for its innovative platforms for Dynamic Single-Molecule and Cell Avidity analysis, announces that it has made the decision to return the COVID-related relief funding it received in both the Netherlands and the United States. During 2020, LUMICKS received a total of $1.7 million from the Dutch NOW subsidy and $163,830 from the US Payroll Protection Program.

Olivier Heyning, LUMICKS’s CEO, said: “The decision to voluntarily return the relief funds that we received both in the Netherlands and the US reflects LUMICKS’ values and our desire to create a fairer and better society. We received these funds when we experienced a challenging trading environment due to academic labs cutting back their investment and activities because of the pandemic. We are fortunate that the strong global interest in life science research has placed LUMICKS in a position of robust recovery. This progress and the growing customer interest in our cutting-edge technologies, such as z-Movi® Cell Avidity Analyzer for use in immunology, has allowed LUMICKS to raise further substantial funding from an international syndicate of specialized life sciences investors recently. I would like to thank both the Dutch and US governments for their prompt action in making this critical funding available and to highlight how important it has been in providing us with short term continuity, allowing LUMICKS to stay focused on building the long-term opportunity.”

About LUMICKS

LUMICKS is a leading life science tools company that develops equipment for Dynamic Single-Molecule and Cell Avidity analysis, two rapidly emerging areas in biology research and immuno-oncology. Built upon innovative technologies, such as optical tweezers (Nobel Prize for Physics 2018) and STED super-resolution (Nobel Prize for Chemistry 2014), LUMICKS tools facilitate the understanding of life to the smallest detail.

LUMICKS tools allow researchers to build the crucial and yet unfinished bridge between structure and function at both a molecular and a cellular level. This is achieved by applying and measuring forces around biological interactions, enabling the detailed real-time analysis of underlying biological mechanisms. LUMICKS’ groundbreaking C-Trap® Optical Tweezers – Fluorescence & Label-free Microscopy, allows scientists for the first time to analyze complex biological processes in real-time. Similarly, z-Movi® Cell Avidity Analyzer enables the measurement and selection of immune cells based on their real-time interactions with target cells. The company was founded in 2014 as an academic spin-off from the research group of Prof. Gijs Wuite, Prof. Erwin Peterman, and Prof. Iddo Heller at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. For more information, visit the company’s website at www.lumicks.com.

Source article: LUMICKS

/0 Comments/by
,

Minimizing ice contamination at every step of cryo-EM workflow

Delmic Press Release April 15, 2021

Following the innovative cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) solution METEOR, we are delighted to launch a new cryo-EM solution, CERES Ice Defence System, a series of powerful tools that will minimize ice contamination at every step of your cryo-EM workflow: preparation, transfer and lamella generation.

From the survey results we collected, ice contamination during lamellae preparation affects almost every researcher to a certain extent. On average over 30% of the lamellae used for tomogram acquisition have more than 50% unusable area and nearly half of our respondents realize the samples are ice contaminated already at the transmission electron microscope. Such hassles not only bring frustration but also can cause a drop in productivity. Helping the worldwide researchers have a happier research life has always been Delmic’s mission. Therefore, in collaboration of Max Planck Institute for Molecular Physiology in Germany, we developed CERES Ice Defence System, which consists of CERES Clean Station, CERES Vitri-Lock and CERES Ice Shield. These three innovative tools will give maximum protection to your cryogenic samples so that you can obtain the highest quality cryo-EM samples, with higher throughput and world-class results.

CERES Clean Station

During the cryo-EM sample preparation, it’s very common that parasitic ice crystals from contaminated liquid nitrogen to grow on the sample. Hence, you need a low-humidity and space-saving sample preparation environment to secure your cryo lamellae. CERES Clean Station is the perfect tool as it provides a less than 1% humidity/100 ppm water environment, which promises you with no more effort wasted preparing precious samples only to get it ice contaminated. Thanks to the user-friendly gloves design, you can also expect a high agility while handling the fragile samples.

CERES Vitri-Lock

From the survey results, half of researchers think the ice contamination during sample transfers bothers them the more than other issues. CERES Vitri-Lock, a high vacuum cryo transfer (HVCT), ensures that cryogenic samples stay vitrified during all the cryo sample transfers, in between the preparation station, fluorescent light microscope (FLM), scanning electron microscope (SEM)/FIB and TEM. Additionally, ‘cold time’ is also prolonged up to 30 minutes so that transferring samples between stations won’t require you running anymore.

CERES Ice Shield

The survey results also showed that 13% of researchers expressed their struggles with ice growth during sample thinning, which definitely held them back from an automated milling process. As certain ice contamination rates are currently admitted by major cryo FIB/SEM suppliers, SEM users are forced to experience time pressure during the milling process. Our patented innovation, CERES Ice Shield, was therefore created to give ultimate protection to the sample within the FIB /SEM chamber. By providing a colder surface within close proximity to the cryo sample and preventing any residual moisture in the chamber to condense on the sample, CERES Ice Shield enables you to take your time during sample milling and even leave lamellae in the cryo-FIB/SEM overnight without any contamination concerns.

Working with CERES Ice Defence System (For FIB/SEM)

Load plunge frozen samples into Clean Station via the antechamber, perform C-clipping and sample-shuttle assembly on the LN2 cooled preparation table in the chamber, pump Vitri-Lock chamber to high vacuum and then load the sample-shuttle into Vitri-Lock for transfer to the cryo-FIB/SEM for lamellae preparation. When the lamellae samples are prepared, transfer the samples to Clean Station from the cryo FIB/SEM using Vitri-Lock. Use the cassette loading module on the preparation station in Clean Station to load samples with lamellae into the cassette for the downstream cryo-TEM process.

DeCERES Ice Defence System is user-friendly solution in the market, that secures your cryogenic samples to the maximum. Without ice contamination challenge, you can concentrate on acquiring more data to understand the building blocks of life with ease. Visit our website to learn about how CERES Ice Defence System can boost your productivity: https://www.delmic.com/en/products/cryo-solutions/ceres-ice-defence-system

/0 Comments/by