Key Takeaways
- Semarion Ltd, N6 Tec Inc, and Portal Biotechnologies Inc won the SLAS New Product Award at SLAS 2025 in San Diego.
- Semarion’s SemaCyte Microcarrier Platform boosts throughput while cutting costs for drug discovery.
- n6 Tec’s iconPCR offers a revolutionary solution in genomics, supporting advancements in DNA workflows.
Acknowledging Innovation in Biotech
The SLAS New Product Award 2025 was jointly awarded to Semarion Ltd, N6 Tec Inc, and Portal Biotechnologies Inc during the SLAS 2025 conference in San Diego, where ten finalists were evaluated by a jury of experts.
Jeroen Verheyen, co-founder and CEO of Semarion, expressed pride in the recognition of their SemaCyte Microcarrier Platform, designed to transform adherent cell assays. Verheyen emphasized that the SemaCytes enable higher throughput, reduced costs, and integration into microplate-based assays by converting adherent cells into barcoded, storable reagents. The award bolsters Semarion’s intent to expand into the U.S. market, highlighting its commitment to enhancing cell-based assays for drug discovery, which could result in a tenfold increase in throughput and significant cost savings.
Portal Biotechnologies, based in Boston, has rapidly gained traction since its inception in 2023, capturing interest from prominent pharma companies. Crystal Tsui, the company’s Scientific Partner, expressed gratitude for the support from early partners like Eppendorf and Promega, which helped facilitate the swift development and adoption of their Galaxy platform. By the end of 2023, Portal Biotech secured 50 partnerships, including collaborations with seven of the top ten pharmaceutical firms, alongside raising $7 million in seed funding.
Portal specializes in next-generation cell engineering and analysis technologies for both research and clinical applications, featuring a silicone-based mechanical transport system for effective intracellular delivery of various cargo types. This innovation enhances biological research and cell therapies through its simple and versatile approach.
The award also recognized n6 Tec Inc, which introduced iconPCR, a transformative semiconductor-based technology in genomics. Yann Jouvenot, Head of Product at n6 Tec, remarked that the award illustrates the potential for ongoing improvements in established technologies. IconPCR is the first real-time thermal cycler with 96 individually controlled wells, expected to significantly streamline DNA amplification and sequencing workflows.
In addition to the New Product Award, the SLAS Ignite Award was given to Italy’s InSimili Srl. The SLAS conference provided a platform for showcasing advancements in laboratory automation, with details on more award opportunities to be featured in the next issue of European Biotechnology.
The deadline for applications for the upcoming SLAS Europe Ignite and New Product Award is set for February 24, 2025, inviting innovative companies to participate in the event scheduled for May 2025 in Hamburg, Germany.
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