Spin-off Lumicks enables real-time imaging of molecular interaction
Lumicks enables the real-time imaging of interaction between molecules, such as DNA and proteins, something that has not been possible until now. ‘Real-time’ is important because this way researchers will be able to follow the dynamics of biological processes, such as the repair of DNA, as these happen, and under realistic conditions. The resulting knowledge will be useful for research into the occurrence and healing of cancer. A combination of the technologies of optical tweezers and super-resolution fluorescence microscopy (see photo) makes this possible; a technology that Physics Professors Gijs Wuite and Erwin Peterman have been developing for the last ten years. Lumicks has a licence agreement with VU University for access to the technology and related patents. The company launched the first products in 2014. Olivier Heyning, director of Lumicks: “With the establishment of Lumicks the Netherlands can boast a new high-tech manufacturer.”
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