An advanced robotic arm to test COVID-19 antibodies has been revealed at the Wielkopolska Centre of Advanced Technologies at the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań.
The university's first robotic arm will be used in both immunodiagnostics and 3D bio-printing.
Team leader Dr. Jakub Rybka, who specialises in the use of nanomaterials in biotechnology and biomedical engineering, said: “We have worked on this device together with Rob-Tech and Cellivia companies for half a year as part of our project.
“It was primarily designed for immunodiagnostic test that we developed last year at the Adam Mickiewicz University, but the possibilities of expanding this robot are virtually unlimited.
“We have already implemented the second scientific area from our laboratory, that is, 3D bioprinting.”
He added that while plastics and other polymers are normally used in 3D printing, his laboratory also prints with cells and that using the device in tests that detect antibodies against COVID-19 and, consequently, automation of this process, not only accelerates the process itself, but also improves the currently used tool by eliminating potential human errors.
The mission of the Laboratory of Applied Biotechnology of the Wielkopolska Centre of Advanced Technologies at the Adam Mickiewicz University is going beyond the limits of basic science and combining academic discoveries with real-life applications.
He points out that the team strives to cooperate with both scientific and industrial partners to drive innovation in biotechnology.
The Rector of the Adam Mickiewicz University Professor Bogumiła Kaniewska said during the opening ceremony that “the university is a place where various environments should connect. So if we are talking about the synergy of science and industry, about the synergy of generations or the synergy of the city and the university - this is probably the best place for this type of statements.”
She added that the Wielkopolska Centre of Advanced Technologies proved again that it was a leading centre connecting scientific research with real needs and challenges facing humanity.
President of Poznań Jacek Jaśkowiak and previous rectors of the university Bogdan Marciniec, Bronisław Marciniak, and Stefan Jurga also attended the ceremony. (PAP)
author: Anna Jowsa
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