Company news

France Hamber interview about SLAS EUROPE 2023

June 20, 2023

Discover the insights from our CEO’s participation in SLAS EUROPE 2023. Learn about Fluigent’s role as a leading flow control provider for microfluidics, the market trends and expectations for 2023, our innovative technologies, and the services we offer in the industry and research sectors. Don’t miss our upcoming events like Organoids and Spheroids Europe 2023 and MPS World Summit 2023.

1/ Why was Fluigent an exhibitor at SLAS 2023?

Microfluidics is becoming increasingly recognized in the scientific and industrial fields as a revolution thanks to its capacity to save samples & reagents, shorten experiment times, and reduce costs. The emergence of organ-on-a-chip and droplet microfluidics is a key technology and a new step in diagnostics and drug discovery.

As the leader in flow control for microfluidics, Fluigent needed to be present.

We had the opportunity to discuss with industrials and researchers and to understand the trends of the life science fields, as well as the limitations they currently face. We presented our pioneering technologies and solutions to respond to customer’s pain points and create a better business outcome. It also reinforced our understanding of the future challenges in terms of fluid control and automation for life science applications, and how Fluigent will address them through our advanced product portfolio.

2/ What did you notice about the market and the expectations for 2023?

It was noticeable to see so many actors in the biological and life sciences field making use of microfluidics and their associated technologies. It was not a surprise since microfluidics clearly has a role to play in the future of the biological field, but it was interesting to see such expansion, especially in European industries.

During the event, two subjects stood out. First, the actual need and constant demand for automation in laboratory experiments. This is a real opportunity for us since one of our key areas of expertise is our capacity to automate lab protocols using our products and accessories.

We are already capable of answering this demand with high performance. A good illustration is our Automated Sequential Injection device ‘Aria’ dedicated to multiplexing and localization microscopy protocols, or our newly launched ‘Omi’ an automated platform that helps reproduce the micro physiological behavior of organs.

Secondly, there is a market transition from 2D to 3D cell culture, with the need for more physiologically representative culture methods. As a consequence, the next step is to move further towards more advanced models, which will need perfusion and recirculation protocols with highly accurate flow rates. We already have patented technologies and a range of product to fulfill these needs.

3/ What are the innovations within Fluigent?

Since the creation of the company, Fluigent has been a pioneer in flow control for microfluidics. The focus of the company is to develop unique technologies and disruptive products to meet the evolving market needs.

For example:

One of our customers had a process involving cells.

He needed to measure and precisely control the flowrate of his liquids, one of them containing cells. He was using the commercially available flow sensing technology which is in contact with the liquid and thus in contact with the cells. But he needed a perfectly clean setup before starting a new protocol and had to clean his flow unit to eliminate any risk of contamination. This was a long process for the customer with a risk of contamination.

Fluigent’s technology permitted the customer to run his process without the fluids being in contact with the flow sensor thus saving customer time and assuring a clean process.

The non-invasive flow sensor (NIFS) invented by Fluigent will make the microfluidics industry even more competitive. 

Omi, launched in March, is the smallest and easiest-to-use automated organ-on-a-chip platform to allow reproduction of the micro-physiological behavior of organs inside microfluidic chips.

4/ What services is Fluigent able to offer? And in which market or application?

We are focused on two market segments: industry and research. We develop scientific end-user instruments that can be combined to create microfluidic research protocols. Our industrial offer for equipment manufacturers consists of OEM modules, which can be seamlessly integrated into any device thanks to our SDK.
Fluigent also provides a fully custom device development service for any company, from start-ups to large international groups. We provide project management from conception to design to manufacturing and operations and thanks to the expertise of our multi-competencies R&D team with more than 17 years of experience in microfluidics.

5/ What are your future events?

We will be present at many events this year, such as the Organoids and Spheroids Europe 2023 from the 19th to the 20th of June or the MPS World Summit 2023 from the 26th to the 30th of June.

Please come and meet the team!