The project had the main objective of proposing, studying and evaluating a device for Brain-on-a-Chip functions control and monitoring. The work done during these 12 months period has focused into developing two integrated multi-sensing platforms (BrainChip Platform 1, an specific modification of CherryTEMP©, and CubiX© Platform (formerly named BrainChip Platform 2) associated to keep healthy cell cultures in controlled 3D microenvironments while concurrently assessing their functions under controlled stimulus such as these originated by therapeutic drugs or electrophysiology stimulation. Effort has been put in both, developing and prototyping the controlling platforms and creating 2 microfluidic disposables able to mimic and monitor parts of brain physiology when combined with the corresponding platform. The two expected products have been architected and developed after accurate study of the market and communication with potential customers, mainly academic researchers, Contract Research Organizations (CROs) and pharma companies, through emailing campaigns, data-gathering web pages, phone calls and direct meetings. A design-thinking linked to minimum viable product (MVP) approach has been followed during the process to understand the market needs and start producing some revenues from the developments.
The first and simpler prototype (BrainChip Platform 1) targets the electrophysiology research community and is already being sold as an optional feature for the CherryTEMP© product. The disposable associated to this product is based in a petri dish and facilitates electrophysiological recordings when needed. The device has been tested in relevant environments, used by early adopters, and finally commercialized.
The second prototype, the CubiX© platform (formerly presented as the BrainChip Platform 2), targets a much more complex, ambitious, and integrated device, powered by artificial intelligence and aimed to partially substitute animal testing during drug development in the near future, while reducing pharma industry costs. Its range of applications is not limited to mimicking brain environments and can be expanded by updating its hardware, changing the organ model, and introducing new disposables, in the future. A first minimum viable product (working prototype) for the the CubiX© platform has been integrated and software has been developed to allow its autonomous functioning. However, full test in a relevant environment of this platform has been hindered by the contingencies experimented and the delays occurred in the fabrication of its associated brain-blood barrier (BBB) mimicking disposable.
A communication plan has been followed also since the beginning by assisting to meetings of the Human Brain Project and developing presentations for the targeted potential customers. Dedicated contents (scientific notes, application notes, youtube videos) have been uploaded in the Cherry Biotech website. Written contents have been produced exploiting the Google search engine optimization (SEO). The online content has been promoted though social media (Twitter, Facebook, Researchgate, Linkedin). In order to more accurately target potential end-users/buyers a list was prepared, for both platforms, at the early beginning of the project, identifying potential actors that could be interested in these new technologies. Specific software tools to measure the impact (time spent/page, recurrent visits, total browsing time, ...) of the dissemination strategies (web, emailing campaigns) were applied and used to eventually change the value proposition of the new product. IP protection and freedom to operate surveillance studies have been carried out during the project.
