Using organ-on-a-chip technology to reduce animal testing

Dr Malcolm Wilkinson. BA (Hons) in Physics from Keble College, Oxford, MSc from Southampton University and PhD from Middlesex University, London. He has contributed at the leading edge of technology for over 35 years and is well-known for his expertise in the emerging fields of biotechnology and nanotechnology. He has had experience across all business functions in high technology industries in the UK, USA and Europe and served at Board Level in three high technology companies. Dr Wilkinson has a track record of success in bringing new technology from R&D through to volume production in both large and small company environments. He has the industrial / business / socio-economic background needed to understand the mechanisms that may affect the exploitation potential of the results of EU or UK Government funded projects. He has had extensive experience in European Union Framework Projects as an Assessor, Reviewer, Coordinator and Project Partner. He has been a visiting Lecturer for FSRM, Neuchatel, Switzerland, on the subject of Micro and Nanotechnology in Biomedical Engineering for over 10 years. He is co-author on several papers on in-vitro models of toxicity and a contributing editor of a recently published book on In-Vitro Testing. Dr Wilkinson is a champion for the use of leading edge technology to replace animal testing for the development of safe drugs, nutraceuticals, chemicals and cosmetics.

John Alderman Consultant (UK) was awarded a BSc in Chemistry from Bristol in 1978 and while working at Plessey Research (Caswell) (1978-1990) was awarded MSc in Microelectronics from Bangor, University of Wales in 1982. After 12 years developing processes for integrated circuit fabrication he joined the NMRC (later Tyndall National Institute) in 1990 where until the end of 2000 he has collaborated on the development of MEMS and micro systems based "smart sensors" and “Lab-on-a-chip” techniques for chemical and biological sensing applications. He was a member of the co-ordinating board of the initial phase of NEXUS between 1992 and 1995 focused on the promotion of the emerging Microsystems developments and for 4 years between 1996 -1999 he acted as the Irish contact as part of the EU Europractice MST initiative for the promotion of awareness and aid in the source of supply of these new developments to industry. From the beginning of 2001 until 2010 he set up and ran a Bionics team specifically looking at the possibilities to be derived from direct interaction between the cellular and microelectronic worlds and was one of the founders of the greater Life Sciences Interface grouping in the NMRC/Tyndall. Projects included a neural array pick up using ISFET’s and micro electrodes with direct cellular cultures, structures and micro chambers for cellular culture monitoring and several biomedical orientated devices such as improved coils for inductive coupling in an implantable drop foot stimulator, cuff electrodes for nerve stimulation / recording and the fabrication of flexible retinal stimulation devices. He has had several of his patents licensed to spin out companies (e.g. Luxcel and SensL).