The current crisis has brought a good part of the population closer to the strict standards of time and procedures by which science is governed to guarantee, precisely, that its results are for the benefit of society. In this sense, the possibility of testing molecules or drugs with utility in animal models is an important step in this complex process. And the BFlow company, which has just been set up by several researchers from the University of Santiago de Compostela, is looking for solutions in this regard.
The company, according to this university, “offers microfluidic solutions thanks to the personalized design and manufacturing by laser technology of a chip with microchannels on which cell culture can be performed and to which a flow simulation is applied.” In this way, its technology allows testing in preclinical research “the molecules and drugs in conditions very similar to those of a living being, which is why, used before passing the test in animals, it allows identifying the best candidates to pass that test , thus reducing and rationalizing research time, experimental costs and the number of experimental animals”.
The Bflow project is the result of years of research and collaboration between leading teams in the area of microfluidics, photonics and biotechnology, both from the University itself, and from the Fundación Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Santiago de Compostela (FIDIS). The promoting partners of this new spin-off are researchers María Aymerich, Maite Flores, Ezequiel Álvarez and Alberto P. Muñuzuri. María Seoane will be its director.
The BFlow solution incorporates unique features compared to other custom organ-on-a-chip solutions purchased, such as the variety of material and microchannel design options employed without prototyping, making the BFlow is a partner that meets the needs of laboratories and pharmaceutical companies in the current context. “A customized, cutting-edge, fast and economical solution”, explain its promoters.
BFlow solutions also have a wide field of application ranging from wound healing to mining or waste treatment, due to their ability to provide real-time information for decision-making (monitoring), in situations that require flow application.
Awards
The work of the researchers who are now launching the BFlow project was recognized by various awards, including those awarded by the Royal Galician Academy of Sciences with the Francisco Guitián Ojea Technology Transfer Award and the Ernesto Viéitez Young Investigator Award. At the same time, it was certified as a Technology-Based Business Initiative by the Xunta de Galicia. Also awarded by the USC as the Best Business Idea, it is part of Bioincubatech, the incubation program for biotechnology companies of the University.
