Known for his theory in 1965 that the performance of computers and technical devices doubles approximately every 18 months and that more and more electronics can be accommodated in the same space, the chemist and physicist Gordon Moore is regarded as a pioneer of his time. His prediction was based on the fact that technical developments would allow ever smaller transistors to be used in an integrated circuit. Increasing performance through improved use of resources and materials is also a goal of Dr. Carsten Radtke, alumnus of KIT. He took off his lab coat at the Institute of Bio- and Food Technology (BLT) at KIT to improve the quality of laboratory analysis as co-founder of PHABIOC GmbH and at the same time minimize the consumption of sample carriers with a new type of multiwell plate. The young company develops UV-transparent multiwell plates for liquid samples for spectroscopic laboratory analysis in bio and pharmaceutical research.

Plastic waste in the laboratory

Microtiter plates are indispensable in the laboratory sector. They are used in large quantities as consumables for investigating biological properties, for example in absorbance measurement or high-throughput screening. His partner Jannik Jungmann explains: "Every day, tens of thousands of sample carriers, including multiwell plates, are used worldwide for laboratory applications in the life sciences. The plates made from high-quality plastics are used as disposable products in countless series of high-throughput measurements." The exact volume of waste is not recorded in Germany, but it is estimated that ten to twelve times as much plastic waste is generated in laboratories compared to other industries. With their innovative SpecPlate product, the founders offer an analysis tool that saves on sample carriers. The change here is not in the processes in the laboratory, but in the extended functionality of the new multiwell plates.

 

Moore's analogy

Classic multi-well plates are usually rectangular and comprise several measuring points, comparable to small cells arranged in a matrix in a row. Where previously there was one such measuring point - a so-called well - the SpecPlate has a new, step-shaped measuring structure with four measuring points on the same surface. Radtke explains: "By using the SpecPlate, we can reduce the use of the gold standard. That means in figures: We can reduce plate consumption by up to four times overall because we can serve four measuring points with one measurement instead of just one with the normal plate. In addition, we use less material for our sample carriers. The amount of material used per plate in injection molding is therefore lower."

Multitasking in high throughput

The development leap towards a more efficient multi-measuring chamber plate for liquid samples is in the detail, reveals Radtke: "Our measuring structures each consist of four measuring chambers of different heights and filling volumes connected by a channel. This gradual increase means that spectroscopic measurements can be carried out in a single measurement process across a wide concentration range without dilution." This means that four times as many measurements or parallel measurements at different concentration levels of standard plates are possible in a single run. This is a major advance for laboratory work, as up to now, so-called dilution series with different substance concentrations have been carried out in several measurements one after the other.

 

Measuring well and error-free

However, the SpecPlate not only improves the quantity, but also the quality of the measurement results considerably. Unlike the open cells on standard plates, PHABIOC uses closed measuring structures with inlet and outlet openings. The use of closed, fully filled measuring chambers prevents the formation of undesirable liquid menisci. This physical phenomenon refers to a surface curvature in the liquid sample that leads to inaccuracies in the measurement results. Jungmann describes the handling in detail: "With the SpecPlate, a sample is filled into the channel structure on a microfluidic scale as usual using a manual pipette or pipetting robot. We have four channel heights in our measuring structure, which results in physical dilution. Automated filling is easily possible. The samples are then analyzed spectroscopically at specific wavelengths using standard analyzers with transmitted light. By measuring the sample at four different path lengths, i.e. the different heights of the measuring chambers, in one measuring process, both high concentrations of molecules and low concentrations can be detected simultaneously." The four-chamber system eliminates the need for additional dilution, thus eliminating the influence of pipetting errors. The SpecPlate is similar in size and material to conventional multiwell plates and can therefore also be used in automated processes and established devices in known high-throughput procedures.

Innovation with foresight

With the SpecPlate, the founders want to make the pharmaceutical and biotech industry more efficient and sustainable by initially using fewer sample carriers. The SpecPlate is a promising alternative or supplement to existing devices for any research laboratory using UV/VIS spectroscopy. Inventor Radtke, who spent several years working in university research laboratories, is aware that this is only the beginning: "To further reduce plastic consumption, we will need long-term recycling solutions. So far, the use of recycled material for optical applications has been rather difficult. One idea was to offer recycling ourselves in the future by collecting used material and finding a way to keep the raw material in the cycle." Jungmann adds: "We see ourselves as pioneers for change in the industry and want to make a difference in the long term. As optical measurements require a particularly high surface quality, the use of recycled plastic will be one of our future topics."

 

Further links

• PHABIOC video

Images: Amadeus Bramsiepe / KIT; PHABIOC GmbH