Worms in high-tech housing replace laboratory mice

In an effort to improve drug, cosmetic and other chemical product tests, Nagi Bioscience has created a device that automatically grows, feeds, houses and analyzes laboratory worms. This invention will save researchers both time and money and sharply reduce the number of tests that require laboratory rondents. A prototype has already been tested and approved by several laboratories. There is nothing new about the idea of using worms instead of mice in a wide array of pharmaceutical and toxicological tests. But the tedious task of growing these tiny nematodes and the time-consuming process of analyzing them have made this an unlikely alternative for systematic use on an industrial scale - until now. EPFL spin-off Nagi Bioscience has developed a device that automatically feeds, houses and tests these invertebrates. The company's prototype was assessed and validated by pharmaceutical companies at EPFL Innovation Park.