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Labs on a chip

June 03, 2004

The American bio-technology company, WaferGen, is planning to produce three micro laboratories on three different sensor chips, which were developed in Delft. To this end the company will acquire licences to for the patented design. The contracts will be signed by representatives of WaferGen and by Ir. G.J. van Luijk (chairman of the TU Delft Executive Board) and Prof. Dr. I.T. Young, on behalf of TU Delft.

In return for the licences, TU Delft will receive royalties and shares of WaferGen. Delft researchers will remain involved in the further development of the technologies at WaferGen. Prof. Dr. I.T. Young, leader of the 'Intelligent Molecular Diagnostic Systems' research programme at TU Delft, expects that it will take one and a half to two years for the chips to reach the market. Applications for the chips can be found in the medical sector, the bio-technological industry and in a number of research fields such as biology and pharmacology.

These chips were developed by PhD student Ventzeslav Iordanov of the faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science. One of the 'labs on a chip' measures the presence of the substance NADH, which plays a role in the conversion of sugars into energy. The second chip registers conversion of ATP molecules, which deliver energy to cells. For the third chip, Iordanov developed a system that quickly replicates small pieces of DNA through a process called PCR, 'polymerase chain reaction'.

These labs on a chip can work with much smaller samples than regular equipment and measurements become quicker and cheaper. They will be applied in bio-reactors with a content of only a few nanolitres, where measurements with other equipment can be done simultaneously.

Delft University of Technology