Curiox Biosystems, a Singapore based spin-off from the Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (IBN), has developed a new platform, DropArray™ technology, for conducting immunoassays using fluid volumes smaller than a single drop. The new platform will now for the first time allow researchers at the Singapore Eye Research Institute (SERI) to perform assays of tears from the eye to detect proteins associated with inflammatory diseases such as dry eye.

This will be the first in the world. Presently, there are no products available in clinics, that are able to conduct such sensitive immunoassays and with several markers simultaneously. This will significantly enhance the quality of medical service. The success of this project has overwhelming positive implications for improving the quality of healthcare, as doctors in clinics would be able to prescribe proper treatment on the spot.

New Point-of-Care Platform For Rapid Diagnosis and Evaluation

Patient samples, from as little as 2 microlitres (which is much less than a single drop), can now be used to perform these tests, making the DropArray™ platform a technical breakthrough. Adding to their scientific achievement, researchers from SERI and Curiox are embarking on the development of a new point-of-care platform that can be used in the doctor's office for rapid diagnosis and evaluation of diseases such as ocular allergy, which is very common now.

Testing the New Platform

According to Prof Roger Beuerman, SERI's Senior Scientific Director who is developing the platform from the SERI laboratory, previous attempts to conduct such tests were not feasible, as the scarce quantity of tear samples required instrumentation that was either unavailable in the market or too expensive and time consuming to be used clinically.

SERI intends to test this new platform with tears from eyes of dry eye patients, to detect proteins associated with inflammation that makes this condition uncomfortable and irritating for the patient. This would mark one of the first objective tests for this condition and should be welcomed by eye doctors all over the world.

"Locally developed DropArray™ technology, in close collaboration with a Singapore high-tech company, Curiox, is expected to provide additional competitive advantage to SERI as it can access the technology prior to other similar organizations overseas. We are excited over the prospect of developing new clinical diagnostics tests and methods, from research now enabled by DropArray™ technology. We and Curiox own patented technology for this new development," commented Prof. Roger Beuerman.

Currently, bioassays like the Curiox technology use large amounts of sample and reagents, making it laborious, time consuming and rather expensive.

Curiox has managed to simplify the process with its revolutionary patent-pending DropArray™ ˇ°wall-lessˇ± platform. Their proprietary plates offer the same functionality as the conventional microtiter plates, but with the added advantage of miniaturization and automation. The key technical innovation is the integration of a proprietary immiscible fluid coupled to the surface coating of the DropArray™ plates that together function as ˇ°wallsˇ±.

An Ideal Case for the Singapore Biomedical industry

The properties of the DropArray™ plate, together with the single-step automated rinsing station from Curiox, DropArray™ Accelerator LT100, will allow scientists at SERI to reduce their assay time by as much as 60% and using small samples from the eye of only one patient.

Thus, this will become a doctor's office test for diagnosis and follow-up for disease progression. Curiox's CEO, Dr Namyong Kim, added "The partnership between SERI and Curiox presents an ideal case for the Singapore Biomedical industry. The locally developed technology by a local high-tech company accelerates clinical research in Singapore, opening new possibilities for both the company and research organizations. I am particularly excited with the possibility of enabling ELISA with precious human samples of tears and other samples from patient's eyes".

Huge Advantages

Curiox's technology can also bring about huge advantages in research. SERI and Curiox are currently collaborating on a new project to develop a portable, point-of-care, quantitative diagnostic platform to conduct multiple anti-body based tests that will provide diagnostic information about eye diseases and also help the doctor evaluate the change in the disease, all using only very small droplets of fluid from human tears as well as blood.

SERI and Curiox are extremely optimistic about this endeavor, and see this as an opportunity to turn the spotlight on Singapore, in particular the Life Science and Clinical Research community, and showcasing us as a centre for excellence in the field of diagnostics technology.

FOR MORE INFORMATION & INTERVIEWS:

SINGAPORE EYE RESEARCH INSTITUTE (SERI)

CURIOX BIOSYSTEMS PTE LTD