Industry Lecture: 'The opportunities for sensors in physiologically relevant organ on a chip devices'

Title: The opportunities for sensors in physiologically relevant organ on a chip devices

Speaker: Malcolm Wilkinson from Kirkstall

Venue: Lecture Theatre 1, Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Philippa Fawcett Drive, Cambridge CB3 0AS

Description: Organ on a chip technology is creating a lot of interest in the academic and industrial community – but what actually is an ‘organ on a chip’?

There are few standards and a divergence of opinions about what is the most important factor to ensure that the technology actually moves from lab curiosity to mainstream application.

This presentation aims to explain the origins of the technology and clarify the requirements of several of the leading applications.

Many applications need long term cell culture rather than a quick go/no go toxicity assay. Live cell monitoring provides many opportunities for novel biosensors and imaging technologies.

The presentation will close with a review on the status of several leading commercial approaches to organ on a chip.

Speaker Bio: Dr Wilkinson studied Physics at Oxford but lived and worked in Cambridge for 23 years. He is currently CEO of Kirkstall Ltd, a biotech company in Rotherham. He has been involved in microelectronics and lab on a chip devices for over 20 years and has developed products in large corporations and start-ups. He is co-author on several papers on in-vitro models of toxicity and a contributing editor of a recently published book on In-Vitro Testing. He is a champion for the use of leading edge technology to replace animal testing for the development of safe drugs, nutraceuticals, chemicals and cosmetics. He has founded three companies and was the first Chairman of the Cambridge Enterprise & Technology Club which celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2017.