The Need

Drug discovery, biologics development, cell therapy research, and advanced in vitro testing all rely on large numbers of cell-based experiments. While continuous perfusion can improve biological relevance by maintaining nutrient availability, removing waste products, and better mimicking physiological conditions, existing perfusion approaches often require complex pump systems, extensive tubing, specialized expertise, and significant lab space. These limitations make it difficult to integrate perfusion into high-throughput workflows commonly used across pharmaceutical, biotechnology, cosmetic, and food research environments.

The Technology

OSU engineers have developed a novel perfusion accessory that enables controlled fluid delivery within standard multi-well plate workflows. The platform is designed to integrate with commonly used laboratory formats while simplifying implementation of perfusion-based experiments. Its modular architecture supports multiple experimental conditions in a compact footprint and can be adapted for a variety of cell culture and microphysiological system applications. The technology is intended to provide a practical path toward scalable, user-friendly perfusion without the complexity of traditional pumping infrastructure.

Commercial Applications

• High-throughput drug discovery and compound screening platforms
• Organ-on-chip, microphysiological system, and advanced cell culture workflows
• Toxicology, safety, and efficacy testing for pharmaceutical and biotechnology products
• Cell-based research applications in cosmetics, food, nutrition, and life science tools markets

Benefits/Advantages

• Compatible with standard multi-well plate workflows
• Reduces system complexity
• Enables scalable, high-throughput experimentation
• Compact, lightweight, and automation-friendly design