C. elegans and other small model organisms have many advantages over in vitro cell based assays for phenotypic screening of chemical libraries for neurotoxicity, developmental toxicity, and for performing human disease modeling. However their potential has been slowed by an inability to gather the high-resolution imaging data needed to detect subtle phenotypes induced by test substances at the speeds necessary to screen large libraries.
Small scale vivoChip technology designed for academic labs
Newormics vivoChip maximizes the amount of information per pixel by minimizing the 3-dimensional area to image. Each device can align 40 C. elegans side-by-side in a flat plane to reduce the number of images that need to be acquired and processed.
A larger population of animals can also be used in each well due to the precise spacial separation and alignment of each animal, decreasing the number of plates to process.
Plate reader to image a single well containing 10 worms:
16 images × 15 planes x 4 wells = 1920 images
vivoChip to image a single well containing 40 worms:
16 images × 15 planes = 48 images
Short life-cycle
Transparent body
Precise CRISPR gene editing
Homologous genome
Easy to grow in solid/liquid media
Ethically compatible in vivo model
A professor with dual appointments in Mechanical Engineering and Biomedical Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin, Dr Ben-Yakar’s research focuses on the creation of imaging technologies and novel laser surgery with high precision. Educated at Stanford and the Technion in Israel, with post-doctoral study at Harvard, and using her NIH Director’s Transformative Research Award, Dr Ben-Yakar began the research that has culminated in the launch of Newormics, LLC
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Evan Hegarty, co-founder, received his M.S. in Mechanical Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin while developing the technology and IP that lead to the launch of Newormics, LLC. As the Director of Manufacturing and Product development, and Principal Investigator of NIH SBIR grants at Newormics, Evan is responsible for development of all chip and system designs, creating production schedules, optimizing production methods, managing team members, identifying customer needs, developing future products, and reinforcing GLP and GMP.
Dr. Yunki Im is a molecular geneticist with expertise in autophagy, mitophagy, unfolded protein response, post-translational modifications (sumoylation and ubiquitination), and mitochondrial biology applied to study neurodegenerative disease and cardiac vascular disease in C. elegans and mice. He was educated at GIST in Korea, with post-doctoral study at University of Rochester, NY.
Jacob Moore completed his master’s and PhD in mechanical engineering at the University of Texas at Austin before joining the Newormics team. From his experimental research in the gas turbine industry, he developed a hands-on expertise in thermal/fluids systems that he is applying to chip and system designs. In addition, he is using his automated laboratory measurement experience to mature automation designs using Newormics technology.
Dr. Adam Laing is a molecular and cellular biologist educated at the University of Edinburgh, and leads the Research and Development activities of Newormics. He is responsible for testing and characterizing the new devices and imaging methods, and development of toxicology and drug screening assays in C. elegans as well as tissue organoids.
Dr. Lento is a serial COO/VPO executive for life science startups with broad skills in pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and diagnostics. With a unique background of equal parts government, public and private sector service, Dr. Lento holds a PhD in Biochemistry and additional credentials in Drug Evaluation, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Corporate Governance.