An organ-on-a-chip is an engineered system in which the architecture, functions and surrounding physiochemical environment of a living human organ are recreated, allowing drugs or therapies to be tested on an in vitro system which recapitulates the in vivo one. The development of organ-on-a-chip in vitro models has grown from a nascent idea in 2000 to one of the most promising, fastest growing research areas in the world, predicted to achieve a compound growth rate of 38-57% over the next 5 years to become a multi-billion pound industry.
The Organ-on-a-Chip Technologies Network aims are to:
- Develop a vibrant multidisciplinary research community, bringing focus to the varied Organ-on-a-Chip and In Vitro model research activity in the UK;
- Facilitate inter-disciplinary and inter-sectoral research collaborations, to develop the next generation of organ-on-a-chip research solutions;
- To train, support and inspire the next generation of outstanding leaders in organ-on-a-chip research.
