Technology Profiles
 Profile Detail
A microarray for spatially standardised neurotoxicity screening (10 DE 0855 3IA4)
An interdisciplinary team of two German research institutes developed an analytical display for compound screening in neurotoxicity tests by patterning of neuronal cells within a microarray. This analysis is applied in order to meet legislation, such as REACH. The method offered is fast and easy with high predictive value. Industrial partners are sought for commercial use of the method.
Country: Germany
Type: OFFER
Date: 12.08.2010
The challenge is fortified by global policy, e.g., Europe's REACH legislation. There is a strict deadline to provide comprehensive toxicity data, and yet 30,000 compounds are still not adequately tested.
Toxicity testing using animal experiments is ethically problematic, extremely expensive and time consuming. In vitro methods are sought to replace the animal tests. However, in neuro-toxicology, the data from in vitro assays fail to correlate with the in vivo data. A good choice is neurite outgrowth analysis but this approach is enormously difficult and time consuming.
This is where the invention of two German research institutes comes in. An interdisciplinary research team developed an analytical display for ultrafast and predictive compound screening. It is a network formation assay that provides a microarray for spatially standardised neurotoxicity screening. As the neurite length is standardised, length measurements are no longer necessary. The analysis can furthermore be easily done with either human or machine vision.
Innovative Aspects:
" Neurite lengths are standardized this eliminates length measurements" Easy analysis either with human or machine vision" Ease of visualisation means that no fixation and staining are required kinetic data can be recorded" Network connectivity has higher predictive value than outgrowth alone
Degree of development:
Patents/Rights: Patent(s) applied for but not yet granted
Requested Cooperation: License Agreement, Joint further development
Rights for commercial use and research collaboration are offered. Partners sought are companies from the life science industry, e.g., providers of sophisticated technologies and products for bio-scientific research and bio-pharmaceutical manufacture.
Type of Organisation:
Status: NEW
| 
