First in class single-step and automated exosome separation from whole blood
AcouSome solution offers automated exosome sample preparation that can be integrated in stand-alone bench-top instruments used by exosome researchers, or providing disposable OEM microchips that can be integrated in almost any type of analytical or diagnostic instrument for downstream analysis of diverse exosome biomarkers. AcouSome is build upon a core AcouSort technology, featuring the use of ultrasound to move and capture cells and particles in the blood matrix. AcouSome consortium brings together AcouSort with DayOne Srl, Lund University and the Technical University of Denmark (DTU), thus enduring the transformation of thin film transducers technology legacy from EU FET Project BioWings, into novel product and application development.
The Problem
Exosomes are nano-sized vesicles released by different cell types into biofluids. In the last decade exosomes emerged as appealing carriers of diverse biomarkers (proteins, nucleic acids, metabolites) and promising substrates for development of a new generation of non-invasive diagnostic and precision therapies. The readiness of exosomes for translation into diagnostic tools is held back by the lack of robust technologies that can cope with their small size and heterogeneity, and the difficulty to separate them from other confounding particles composing complex biological fluids. The absolute prerogative for clinical translation is the automated, time and sample saving, easy to integrate isolation solution that will increase the robustness and decrease the pre-analytical losses and variations in blood exosome handling.
A legacy project BioWings has first introduced thin film acoustic transducer technology proved to be efficient and enabling the manipulation of cells and particles in complex fluids. This technology offers perfect match to respond to challenges imposed by exosome size, heterogeneity and biofluid complexity, in order to assure their efficient separation and analysis
The Solution
AcouSome solution offers automated exosome sample preparation that can be integrated in stand-alone bench-top instruments used by exosome researchers, or providing disposable OEM microchips that can be integrated in almost any type of analytical or diagnostic instrument for downstream analysis of diverse exosome biomarkers. The technology is enabled by a new class of materials – thin film transducers, that employ the ultrasound to control the movevemt and entrap the nanosized particles in a flow. This adoptable and scalable technology is therefore suitable to address and connect a wide range of applications in biomarker discovery, from early research to a translation into diagnostic tools that ultimately improve therapeutic treatments.
Applications
With the help of AcouSome, exosomes will become ready for translation into fully-fledged “tools” for non-invasive diagnostic and precision therapies. Proprietary technology has been specifically designed to be applicable in the different contexts in which these biomarkers have proven to be useful, from research and separation of biomarkers, through diagnostics, up to therapy, with monitoring to support medical treatments.
Exosome Research and Biomarker discovery:
AcouSome solution will be integrated into a disposable microfluidic devices for blood exosome separation, that, in turn, can be used within a bench-top instrument, featuring an ideal solution for fundamental research on exosomes and early biomarker discovery.
Non-invasive Diagnostics and Liquid Biopsy:
AcouSome exosome preparation technology provides sample quality and device formats compliant with the miniaturization, scalability and automation, landing themselves to easy integration with existing and emerging analytical solutions for noninvasive exosome-mediated diagnostics.
Supporting novel and personalized treatments development:
Maturation of evidence for exosome biomarkers in a variety of high burden diseases, as well as enabling the technologies for full interrogation of exosome information content will support novel therapies both by more precise diagnostics and treatment monitoring, as well as through a discovery of novel exosome-associated therapeutic targets and effectors.
Partnership
The multidisciplinary group of academic, industrial and medical partners who already worked on the BioWings project returns to collaborate to bring their successful technology to implementation.
Bio-compatible electrostrictive smart materials for the future generation of medical micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS).
AcouSort is an innovative technology company specializing in automated biological sample preparation products and solutions for life science researchers and companies. The company’s core technology is acoustofluidics, which uses a combination of microfluidics and sound waves.
Lund University is the largest institution of research and higher education in Sweden which focuses heavy on the research with overs 3500 active researchers. The University has participated in over 1000 EU-related projects over the years.
DTU is the Technical University of Denmark. With its international elite research and study programms, its large experimental facilities and interdisciplinary research environments, DTU is working towards the resolution of global challenges formulated in the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals
Day One is an Innovation Studio where research is transformed into products capable of generating economic and social impact. Day One teams up with researchers and inventors to transform disruptive technologies into game changing solutions and start-ups.