Two new MedTech projects advance more reliable drug development
New collaborations within the UT‑TNO Bio/MicroSystems Centre aim to accelerate organ‑on‑chip innovation, bringing more reliable drug testing and scalable technologies closer to industrial application.
Developing new medicines is a complex, costly and time‑consuming process. One of the biggest challenges is predicting how a potential treatment will behave in the human body. Organ‑on‑chip technology offers a promising way forward, using miniature models of human tissues and organs to make drug testing more predictive and relevant to human biology.
With support from Twente Board, two new projects, GALLOP and LIPOSMART, will advance this technology through the Bio/MicroSystems Centre (B/MSC), a Joint Innovation Centre established by TNO and the University of Twente.
By combining expertise in microtechnology, materials science and life sciences with industrial collaboration, these projects aim to bridge the gap between laboratory research and practical applications in pharmaceutical development.
Bringing greater precision to organ‑on‑chip technology
Organ‑on‑chip systems recreate specific functions of human organs on a miniature scale. By providing controlled environments in which human cells and tissues can grow, they enable researchers to study biological processes and investigate how potential medicines interact with the body.
However, making these systems suitable for widespread industrial use requires more than biological accuracy. Reliable measurements, stable materials and scalable production methods are equally important.
The two new projects address these challenges from different perspectives.
GALLOP: Automating measurements for deeper biological insights
Understanding how living tissues respond to medicines requires precise and consistent measurements. Today, many sampling and analysis steps in organ‑on‑chip experiments are still performed manually, limiting how frequently researchers can collect data and potentially introducing variability. GALLOP aims to change this.
Together with Demcon life sciences & health, B/MSC is developing technology to automate measurements and sample collection within microphysiological systems.
By integrating these processes at the microscale, researchers aim to collect more frequent and accurate measurements without disturbing the developing tissues.
The project will demonstrate a prototype of an integrated miniature measurement and analysis system, laying the groundwork for more scalable and automated monitoring of biological processes.
LIPOSMART: Smarter materials for more reliable drug testing
The materials used in organ‑on‑chip systems can directly influence the quality of experimental results. Certain drug compounds can bind to conventional plastic surfaces, while miniature three‑dimensional tissue models can be difficult to keep in position.
LIPOSMART addresses these challenges by developing advanced coatings and micro‑laboratory plates designed to create a more stable environment for drug testing.
The project brings together B/MSC, Lipocoat, Bondus and Swiss partner InSphero to develop technologies that minimise unwanted interactions between drugs, cells and materials.
The goal is to deliver a validated prototype, tested using a liver model, while exploring opportunities for scalable manufacturing and future commercialisation.
By involving industrial partners from the outset, the project connects technological development with the practical requirements of pharmaceutical research.
From research to real‑world impact
Both projects reflect a broader ambition: making advanced organ‑on‑chip technology more reliable, accessible and suitable for industrial adoption.
At TNO at Holst Centre, researchers are developing scalable organ-on-chip platforms that combine microfluidics, electronics and advanced manufacturing technologies. These innovations build on expertise in integrating complex functionalities into standardised, cost‑effective laboratory formats.
Through B/MSC, this expertise is connected with the University of Twente's research capabilities and the knowledge of industrial partners, creating new opportunities to translate advanced technology into practical solutions.
GALLOP and LIPOSMART also contribute to strengthening Twente's MedTech ecosystem, bringing together research organisations and businesses to accelerate innovation and support future economic growth.
The long‑term opportunity is clear: more predictive drug testing, reduced reliance on animal testing and faster development of medicines.
By addressing the technical challenges that stand between research and industrial application, these collaborations are helping build the foundations for the next generation of pharmaceutical testing technologies.
Explore our organ‑on‑chip technologies by discovering how TNO at Holst Centre is advancing organ-on-chip platforms to support the future of drug development.