Skin testing
Evonik Industries AG (Essen, Germany; www.evonik.com) has invested in Revivo BioSystems Pte. Ltd. (Singapore; www.revivobio.com) — a spin-off of A*Star (Agency for Science, Technology and Research) — to support the development and commercialization of a technology that uses a realistic 4D model of human skin for the testing of chemical, cosmetic and pharmaceutical compounds. Revivo BioSystems’ technology provides an alternative to animal testing that is also quicker, more reliable and cost efficient.
Revivo’s organ-on-a-chip system simulates the interaction of human skin with the substance being tested. Skin tissues, which have been grown in a laboratory or a human skin sample, are placed on biochips that are supplied with nutrients and reagents. In this way, the technology creates a micro-environment for the tissue models, which reproduce the architecture and functions of skin. The system also automates testing and sampling procedures, enabling screenings that are required for regulatory approval of new substances. ❐