Researchers work on organ-on-chip system for drug testing

ANKARA

Researchers at the Middle Eastern Technical University Electromechanical Systems (ODTÜ MEMS) Center have embarked on an innovative project to develop a chip that could revolutionize pharmaceutical research by replacing animal testing.

The “Strategic Partnership Focused on Organ-on-Chip Systems (OrChESTRA)” project, supported by the European Union’s Horizon Europe program, aims to establish the MEMS Center as a regional leader in organ-on-chip technologies.

The project involves collaboration with institutions in Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands.

Professor Haluk Külah, a member of the ODTÜ MEMS Center, highlighted the project’s ambitions.

"Within the scope of the project, there are bilateral collaborations, mutual travels, our researchers here going and taking part in the studies there, or experienced experts from there coming and working at the ODTÜ MEMS Center. We have gained valuable information from the project."

He explained that the project has already shown significant progress over the past one and a half years.

The initiative seeks to create chips that mimic human organs, enabling drug testing in a controlled environment.

“By creating the model on a chip, we will test some drugs effectively in an environment outside the body," Külah stated, adding that this approach could accelerate drug research stages and reduce reliance on animal testing.

“The three institutions we cooperate with in Europe have made significant progress in this field. We have recently joined this field in order to make a difference by using our competencies in micro-electromechanical system technologies and sensors."

The project has developed an intestinal model on a chip, which could provide a more accurate representation of human biological responses.

Professor Ender Yıldırım from the ODTÜ Department of Mechanical Engineering elaborated on integrating sensors with organ-on-chip systems to monitor drug effects in real time.

He emphasized that this technology could lead to more accurate drug designs and potentially fewer animal experiments in the long run.

Yıldırım also noted that international drug companies have started using organ-on-chip systems, marking a significant step forward in pharmaceutical research. “In order to understand the effectiveness of a drug that starts to show its effect after it is absorbed from the intestine, the absorption needs to be modeled,” he explained.

Through the OrChESTRA project, ODTÜ has joined the European Organ-on-Chip Society (EUROoCS), connecting with researchers across Europe and contributing to advancements in the field within Türkiye.