Animal testing is an essential part of biomedical research in order to ensure the maximum quality, efficiency and safety of medical products intended for human use. However, more and more alternative methods are being developed to reduce the number of animal experiments. Great importance is attached to the principles of the 3Rs (Replacement, Reduction, Refinement).
Benefits for SMEs
By producing 3D models locally, the project aims to reduce long transport distances from abroad, currently sourced from the USA, and the associated waiting times. The AutoMTP project will make a significant contribution to sustainability by shortening transportation routes, reducing single-use plastics and reducing animal suffering. The use of robotic production units and automated mass production will also lead to cost reductions.
The in-vitro 3D tissues produced during the AutoMTP project are intended for use in preclinical testing of medical products and the drug development process.
Project goals
A further goal of the OFI with this project is to develop new models for physiological barriers (lung, skin, eye, etc.) in order to address various customer inquiries, particularly regarding the compatibility and effects of medical products and active substances. In addition, inflammatory biomarkers (such as IL6, IL8) will be analyzed to gain further insights into the impact of substances on these 3D models. New skills will be developed, such as proteomic (the study of the entirety of proteins in an organism) and bioinformatic (evaluation & storage of biological data) analyses as well as the confirmation of biomarkers using PCR. It is expected that the automation of production will lead to cost savings of 50% when purchasing these models with a high QA standard.
Funding: Austrian Life Sciences Programme 2022 – Innovative Produktionstechnologien
Lead: LifeTaq-Analytics GmbH
