Syntecnos

We are a Dutch research-based biopharmaceutical company. Our novel Biochip platform provides the basis for whole embryo screening at high-throughput/content and context level (10.000 – 100.000 embryo screens per week). We address safety & side effects, drug/target discovery and behaviour function in a single assay. Several biological models will fit within the Biochip, including zebrafish, snails, beetles, 3D tissue culture, organ and whole mammalian embryo culture.

Biological validation of the Zebrafish in the Biochip (Scientific publication)

The Biochip Our novel microfluidic device (figure 1) has 24 or 32 wells, connected in parallel to a central medium/buffer inlet channel and outflow track. It is possible to fit 96 wells on a single Biochip smaller than the size of a credit card. Each well is surrounded by a thermochannel providing a constant temperature. Temperature control is important for tropical fish species4 as well as for mammalian tissue culture cells (37°C). The Biochip allows standardized conditions while imaging using a microscope, whereas under currently used methods the sample cools down to room temperature.

Figure 1: left, closeup detail of a well in our Biochip (2mm inner diameter (dark ring)) including a zebrafish embryo, medium inlet/outlet channels (three on each side) and a curved temperature channel (middle). Right: zebrafish embryos in a 10mm well surrounded by waste products and their own excreted metabolites (Photo by Thomas Smink ).

Microscopical photograph of a zebrafish embryo in the biochip well (v1)