In bioanalytical applications, such as drug testing and screening, toxicity tests or single-cell sequencing, only small sample volumes are available. At the same time a large number of tests have to be performed under various experimental conditions, which is rather time consuming. Microfluidics chips offer the possibility to handle ultra-small samples in high throughput. The samples can be placed in individual droplets, which act as microreactors. Such microfluidic devices, which produce and handle individual droplets are already commercially available.

This platform at a Swiss university provides measurements, data analysis and scientific expertise in the field of surface chemistry and materials physics. Techniques directly probe microscopic properties such as surface termination, and elemental and molecular composition, as well as bulk chemistry and bonding. These properties underpin surface functionalities such as adhesion, catalysis and bio-compatibility as well as bulk properties such as electrical conductivity and hardness.

Malaria is a disease of the most vulnerable: the very young and the poor. There are around 219 million cases and more than 400’000 deaths worldwide annually, with children under 5 years old accounting for 67% of these deaths. Despite huge progress in the reduction of malaria cases and deaths, many countries with the potential to eliminate the disease are still not on track to meet milestones set by the WHO. The main reason for this is the failure to identify and treat asymptomatic carriers (ACs) with current diagnostic technologies such as Rapid Diagnostic Technology (RDT) and microscopy.

The Swiss high-tech start-up aims at becoming the leader in the industrial machinery sector by developing innovative cost-effective electric machine components to accelerate the transition to a fully electric, sustainable and programmable industrial automation.