German specialty chemicals company Evonik has invested in Singapore start-up Revivo BioSystems, which provides an alternative to animal testing.
The investment -- which is Evonik’s first direct investment in the city-state -- will support the development and commercialisation of a technology that uses a realistic 4D model of human skin for the testing of chemical, cosmetic and pharmaceutical compounds.
Revivo BioSystems’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 the skin.
For example, in contrast to other model systems, it mimics the function of blood flow allowing for analysis of both the localised and the systemic impact of compounds on the skin tissue. The platform thus creates a more realistic measurement of the interaction of, say care products, and the skin.
The start-up’s system also automates testing and sampling procedures. This provides a cost-effective way of carrying out screenings that are required in the regulatory approval procedures for new substances.
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“Our investment in Revivo puts consumer safety first without compromising on animal welfare. With this alternative to animal testing, we are proud to strengthen our position as a trusted partner for sustainable specialties,” says Yann d’Hervé, head of Evonik’s Care Solutions business line.
Prior to this investment, Evonik was already involved in researching animal-free biomaterials and cell-culture components at its Competence Center in Singapore. The project emerged from the Tissue Engineering project house, which was successfully completed in March 2021.
Among other things, the project house worked on the artificial production of tissue in the field of regenerative medicine. The partnership with Revivo fits Evonik’s strategy to build on its innovation activities at the Competence Center.
Photo: Evonik
