Pukyong National University

Pukyong National University Develops Core Technology for Nano-Semiconductors for New Drug Development

- Professor Lim Hyo-ryeong’s Team Selected for ‘Semiconductor Global Advanced Fab-Linked Utilization Project’

△ Photo of Professor Lim Hyo-ryeong (Center) and Research Team.

Pukyong National University(President Jang Young-soo) is embarking on the development of organoid chips (Organ-on-a-chip) that have recently garnered attention using nano-semiconductor technology.

Pukyong National University announced that Professor Lim Hyo-ryeong’s (Department of Human Bio-Convergence) research team has been selected for the ‘2024 Semiconductor Global Advanced Fab-Linked Utilization Project’ by the Ministry of Science and ICT.

This project supports international joint research for the development of core technologies in the nano-semiconductor field through collaboration with domestic and international research institutions possessing leading technologies in nano-semiconductors and their application areas, as well as with the Korea-U.S. semiconductor advanced infrastructure institutions, the National Nanofab Center and NY Creates.

This research aims to apply semiconductor process-based nano-biosensors to the field of national advanced strategic technologies, collaborating with outstanding early- to mid-career female researchers and presenting a commercialization vision.

Organoid chips, which refer to bio-organ chips, cultivate artificial organs on chips using semiconductor microfabrication techniques, enabling the analysis of the physical and physiological environments of in vivo organs and disease modeling, thus garnering attention as a crucial technology in the field of new drug development.

Utilizing organoid chip technology can enable early diagnosis and treatment of diseases, reduce costs and time in new drug development, and decrease reliance on animal testing, thereby improving animal welfare and exploring new markets in the fields of life sciences and advanced manufacturing, among various anticipated possibilities.

The research team plans to develop an organoid evaluation chip that enables real-time and multi-verification for diverse and accurate analysis of drug response conditions and timing through this project. In the first year of the project, this year, they will start with the development of a nano-sensor-microfluidic chip system, followed by high-precision evaluation technology development in the second year, and in the third year, they will develop a prototype that integrates the nano-sensor and microfluidic chip, as well as multi-evaluation technology for three-dimensional cardiac tissues.

Professor Lim Hyo-ryeong stated, “Through this research, I will strive to develop a technology that can precisely monitor and analyze complex biological responses, such as cardiac organoids, by integrating nano-sensors and microfluidic chips, thereby promoting the long-term advancement of biomimetic technology and contributing to the development of precise disease modeling and treatment methods.” <Pukyong Today>