Idylle and Erganeo have concluded a licensing contract to use a new process for achieving transparency in biological samples for tissue imaging: a fast, ultra-efficient, non-toxic and universal method from the CNRS-SPPIN laboratory.

In microscopic imaging of biological tissues, the study of large cellular structures at sub-cellular level is hampered by tissue opacity. Achieving tissue transparency by chemical means solves this issue via refractive index homogenisation and/or delimitation — but this solution involves complex technology that often takes a long time to put in place.

Led by Dr Martin Oheim, director of the Saint-Pères Paris Institute for the Neurosciences (SPPIN, CNRS UMR 8003, Université Paris Cité) and research engineer Brigitte Delhomme, the team honed a new, ultra-fast process for clearing biological samples. This extremely simple process is powered by a combination of two compounds that can turn tissue transparent in a matter of minutes. Known as UbiClear, the reagent is based on a natural, biodegradable and non-toxic agent that yields high levels of transparency. Its universal quality means it can be used on whole insects (tried and tested on wasps, grasshoppers, spiders, flies and more), molluscs (mussels, slugs), plant matter (leaves, roots) and adult zebrafish. The process was also shown to be effective on organs in mice, with preliminary experiments indicating effectiveness in humans, too (brain, intestine). This opens up new avenues of possibility in volume imaging for medical, biomedical and agricultural applications, as well as for teaching and biomimetic design.

UbiClear’s innovative process caught Idylle’s eye: a company specialising in developing and marketing research products and tools for life sciences laboratories. To bring this new Idylle-Labs process to market, on 22 May 2024 the company signed an operating license contract with Erganeo, which has filed and managed the innovation’s patent since October 2022. The company aims to roll out an international business strategy by the end of 2024, focusing on Europe, North America and Asia.

“A team of researchers have produced a groundbreaking innovation for research laboratories to use, making it easier to analyse biological tissues,” explains Erganeo CEO Naceur Tounekti. “Our collaboration with Idylle ensures that this technology is platformed around the world: technology produced by French public research and designed for life sciences laboratories.”
 
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