11 February 2025
CSEM as Hotspot for Bioconvergence
To address issues in several industries, bioconvergence applies techniques from biology, engineering, medicine, agriculture, computer sciences, and artificial intelligence (AI)....
December 18, 2024
CSEM Tools for Life Sciences: Reflecting on a Transformative Year
ANNUAL REVIEW - In a year marked by groundbreaking innovations, CSEM's Tools for Life Sciences have continuously significantly transformed research and innovation in the field and supported research from start-ups to established industrial companies.
(f.l.t.r.) Remi Villenave (Roche) and Gilles Weder (CSEM) presenting our collaborative work on a novel continuous perfusion system for microfluidic well plates, advancing cancer immunotherapy drug screening—CSEM Business Day, 40th anniversary.
Celebrating 40 Years of Innovation
by Samantha Paoletti and Gilles Weder
As we close 2024, we reflect on an extraordinary year at CSEM—a year that coincided with our 40th anniversary and celebrated the remarkable progress of our Tools for Life Sciences team. Over four decades, our passion and dedication have driven projects that have evolved into impactful products and promising clinical innovations, ready to shape the future of patient care. Life sciences, with our own rich history, continue to grow rapidly, pushing the boundaries of personalized medicine.
The event also featured a special anniversary presentation, where we showcased the results of our partnership with Roche. Together, we are developing a groundbreaking recirculated, continuous, and unidirectional perfusion system for microfluidic well plates, designed to revolutionize cancer immunotherapy drug screening.
Bioconvergence merges engineering and biotech via digitalization, driving advances in diagnostics, drug testing, and regenerative medicine.
Bioconvergence: The Next Frontier
CSEM stands at the forefront of the bioconvergence megatrend, where biology, engineering, and digitalization unite to elevate healthcare and life sciences. By merging biology with technology, we are pioneering advancements in biosensing, cell technologies, lab automation, and artificial intelligence to bring tailored treatments to patients efficiently and effectively.
Transforming Drug Discovery and Regenerative Medicine
Technology is creating new personalized treatments and boosting operational efficiency through multidisciplinary thinking. Our organoid-on-plate and single-cell technologies enable the standardization and parallelization of microphysiological systems. Our AI initiatives extract insights from multi-modal omics data and create interpretable machine learning algorithms, enhancing their adoption in clinical and regulated applications.
Technologies developed with industry partners a) CSEM’s smart lid, developed for Roche, b) ClexBio’s VivoSet™ technology, c) 3Brain’s 24-well CorePlate™, d) Visienco’s Orgadroid.
Highlights of our work include
- Brain-on-Chip: In collaboration with 3Brain and the Bern University of Applied Sciences, we co-developed the 24-well CorePlate™, a cutting-edge tool for brain research that transforms a standard cell culture dish into an intelligent device for handling both 2D and 3D models of human brain cells, enabling precise electrical stimulation and recording.
- Organoid-Driven Cancer Research: CSEM’s smart lid, developed for Roche, is used in cancer research with organoid-on-plate technology, ensuring continuous and unidirectional perfusion for steady flow of immune cells and drugs.
- Tissue engineering: Our collaboration with ClexBio led to a novel bioreactor. ClexBio’s VivoSet™ technology provides ideal conditions for co-culture of human cells to create anatomical features found in the body, such as microvasculature and extracellular matrix architectures.
- AI in Life Sciences: Our work on the DeepBINN architecture, which won the best scientific short paper at SDS2024, advances the interpretability of "black box" neural networks by learning the importance of pathways during training.
- ORGADROID: The CSEM start-up Visienco’s automated organoid sorting system accelerates drug development with advanced imaging and AI-driven classification.
Real-Time Biomonitoring: Innovations in Health and Bioprocessing
Biomonitoring is transforming healthcare and bioprocessing, offering real-time data that enhances diagnostics, optimizes production, and ensures quality. At CSEM, we have focused on compact digital solutions for detecting physiological parameters in body fluids such as saliva and urine. We are also advancing minimally invasive diagnostics using blood and interstitial fluids.
Technologies developed with industry partners. a) Impli’s real-time fertility hormone monitoring, b) Entoothiast’s wearable saliva sensor, c) Surfix’s ADS Cartridge, d) MOMM Diagnostics’ Rapid diagnostic test, e) Oryl Photonics' light-scattering technology, f) CSEM’s Proprietary Urine Diagnostics Digital Strip.
Highlights of our work include
- Early Preeclampsia Detection: In collaboration with MOMM Diagnostics, we have enhanced the robustness of a digital-sensitive lateral flow solution for early preeclampsia detection. Clinical validation results are expected by 2025.
- Fertility Monitoring: Partnering with Impli and Yalosys, we are developing the CERES implantable biosensor for real-time fertility hormone monitoring. This innovative biosensor will enable women to track key fertility biomarkers continuously, offering personalized insights into their reproductive health.
- Oral Health Monitoring: With Ivoclar, our efforts led to Entoothiast AG and the development of iTOOTH, a non-invasive wearable device that uses saliva to provide continuous insights into oral and overall health.
- Urine Diagnostics: Collaborations with the Swiss TPH Institute and University Hospital Basel have advanced urine diagnostics platforms, integrating new sensors and clinical validations.
- Bioprocessing Innovation: With Oryl Photonics, we have introduced a light-scattering instrument for solubility measurements. Developed within the Innosuisse Project EASY, this technology offers rapid, cost-effective solutions beyond HPLC capabilities.
- Advanced microfluidics: With Surfix Diagnostics we developed a scalable manufacturing process for the Assay Development System (ADS) cartridge, a test platform to develop assays for their customers using Surfix's PIC technology.
a) Hamilton’s VeriPlate, b) Integra Biosciences PIPETBOY. Both a) and b) are new products made possible through CSEM's work.
Advancements in Laboratory Automation
CSEM continues to redefine laboratory automation with precision liquid handling technologies, bringing innovative solutions that enhance accuracy, efficiency, and ease of use in research and clinical settings.
- VeriPlate System: Our microfluidic technology, developed with Hamilton, debuted at SLAS in San Diego. This innovation enhances laboratory automation by delivering unprecedented accuracy and efficiency.
- PIPETBOY Genius: Developed with Integra Biosciences, this revolutionary device simplifies serological pipetting with single-button operation, offering precise control and streamlining workflows with repeat dispensing.
Celebrating Our 2024 Partners
In 2024, we have been privileged to work alongside an extraordinary group of innovators and pioneers, supporting them in their journeys of innovation and discovery. These partnerships exemplify the power of teamwork and collective intelligence. By combining our strengths and expertise, we are breaking new ground and pushing the boundaries of technology for personalized medicine and digital health, including, but not limited to Accroma, Alpes Laser, Beyond Genomix, Bionter, Bioloom, Cellaven, CellVie, Ceidos, Compagos, CTC Analytics, Cybetika, Engimmune, Femtoprint, Femtorays, Festo, GMD Biotech, Hemetron, Huawei, Insphero, Linxsens, Mast Biosurgery, Maculaser, Melexis, Nutrix, Olgram, Oncoswab, Parithera, Polar, Prometheus, Quantum TX, SDS Optic, Spectracure, Stat Peel, Surfix, Syngenta, Swisens, Tecan, TestMate, TheraMe!, TissUse, Vunanexus, Xsensio.
CSEM organized events a) Prof. Alexandra Brandt Ryborg Jønsson at the Swiss Symposium on Point-of-Care Diagnostics, b) Next-Gen Single-Cell Omics Workshop, c) Networking at the Precision Liquid Handling Conference.
Engaging the Life Sciences Community
Networking and collaboration are at the heart of innovation in Life Sciences. This year, CSEM, in partnership with the FHNW, launched the Next-Gen Single-Cell Omics Workshop, focusing on cells in drug testing, regenerative medicine, and clinical diagnostics. There was an inspiring opening by Ben Hindson from 10x Genomics. The workshop aimed to accelerate the adoption of emerging technologies and address barriers in their implementation.
Additionally, the 7th Swiss Symposium on Point-of-Care Diagnostics, co-organized with HES-SO and the ZHAW, featured a keynote on the challenges of overdiagnosis by Prof. Alexandra Brandt Ryborg Jønsson and Prof. John Brandt Brodersen. Their insights underscored the dual crisis of overdiagnosis in developed regions and underdiagnosis in underserved areas, which together strain healthcare systems globally.
The 7th Edition of the Precision Liquid Handling Conference was another milestone. Keynote speakers Alex Studer and Christoph Jung highlighted groundbreaking advancements in precision liquid handling and automation, setting a benchmark for innovation in laboratory workflows.
Finally, CSEM hosted the first event of the MedPhab association on Photonic innovations in MedTech. The event gathered more than 100 participants from across Europe to discuss how innovations in photonic technologies are driving new medical applications such as in surgery, diagnostics and therapy planning. We thank our MedPhab partners VTT, Philips, JABIL Healthcare, Tyndall, and Joanneum Research for their engaging and future-looking collaboration to place Europe at the forefront of phonotic innovation!
As the year ends, we extend heartfelt thanks to our network partners—BioAlps, Biotechnet Switzerland, BioLAGO e.V., Bioincubate, MedPhab, Digital Health Nation, EUROoCS, MPS, Health Tech Cluster Switzerland, Swiss Biotech Association, Swiss Healthcare Startups, TEDD and Toolpoint for Lab Science. Your contributions continue to fuel partnerships and catalyze groundbreaking advancements in science and technology.
CSEM’s Tools for Life Sciences team at the annual extra-muros.
Gratitude for a Remarkable Team: Innovation Powered by Passion and Resilience
A big thank you to our amazing team for your hard work, passion, and resilience. Your enthusiasm has been the driving force behind our progress this year, even through demanding challenges. We are proud of what we have achieved together and excited for what is to come! If you decide to work in innovation and give it your all, make sure you do it with the right team—like ours.
CSEM’s Tools for Life Sciences management team: from top left Carine Poussin, Stefano Cattaneo, Felix Kurth, Loïc Burr, Samantha Paoletti, Tom Valentin, Gilles Weder, Stephanie Boder-Pasche.
Looking Ahead
As we celebrate our achievements in 2024, we remain committed to innovation and collaboration in Life sciences. By merging biology with innovative technology, CSEM is shaping the future of healthcare and pushing the boundaries of what is possible. Here is to another year of breakthroughs and impact!
We are excited for the Next-Gen Organ-on-Chips & Organoids Workshop in Pratteln on February 13-14, 2025—at the forefront of bioconvergence.
The passports for our team and latest technologies are ready to soar! We are gearing up for CES Las Vegas from January 7-10, SLAS San Diego from January 25-29 and MPS World Summit in Brussel on June 9-13th. Do not miss the chance to connect and explore the latest breakthroughs in innovation!
Interested in collaborating with our Tools for Life Sciences team? Please reach out and contact us via our contact page. We are looking to reading from you!
Samantha Paoletti & Gilles Weder
Co-Heads R&BD, Life Science Technologies
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