751616Novel Biotech Device for 3D Cell CultureClosedVouchersInnovate UKCell culture is the process by which living cells are grown in the laboratory, traditionally in media in a Petri dish. Businesses across many sectors (e.g., pharmaceutical, cosmetics and chemicals) utilise these cultures to test the toxicological effects of new products on living tissue without using animal testing, but these effects are constrained by the 2D (two dimensional) surface provided by media in a plate. There is increasing demand to develop 3D cell culture technologies that can better simulate the cellular environment of the living body in the laboratory. These technologies will lead to greater understanding of human biology therefore reducing development time and research costs for new products to reach the market and potentially becoming a useful tool in the field of regenerative medicine. Cell culture technology has huge market potential and is recognised as a multi-billion dollar industry, for example, its application in predictive toxicology (in vitro toxicological techniques used to predict in vivo outcomes), was worth $4.9 billion in 2012, and is predicted to be valued at nearly $9.9 billion globally by 2017 . Existing technology for 3D cell culture is expensive, difficult to use and not easily adaptable for different experiments and cell types. Novabiomatrix Ltd has begun to develop a 3D cell culture methodology that simulates human organ cells in its research labs which it hopes will ultimately not only minimise the need for animal tests but accelerate effective research and development of novel applications. The objective of this application is to assess the market potential of this newly developed patent pending device. This technology will provide a reliable, fast and cost effective device that could be used worldwide in scientific labs with potential to become a standard method.