Life science instruments and diagnostic systems are moving towards user-friendly and low-cost systems often designed for space-limited lab or clinic environments. Recognising this, TTP launched the Desktop Biology initiative in 2016.

TTP Desktop Biology offers specialised platforms and technologies as well as TTP’s fusion of science insight and system engineering to enable and accelerate the development of successful systems for these markets.

Our platforms include single-use devices such as Puckdx™ and Tick Box, a new single-use approach. We also develop bespoke platforms for our clients.

Our tools address bottlenecks in the translation of biological processes, including technologies for rapid and accurate thermal control, tools for lysis and transfection, and manufacturing innovation in bioprinting.

As part of the TTP Desktop Biology approach, we work closely with our clients, observing and undertaking lab-based protocols, to identify key steps and consider potential solutions for each, before using know-how, modelling tools and rapid testing to shortlist, de-risk, and fuse approaches. This enables a selection of integrated concepts for further development. When necessary, TTP works with clients to refine protocols before, and during, development.

As systems become smaller, the interplay between biological function and engineering choices increasingly becomes key to performance. Our team of scientists and engineers enables timely design choices, protocol refinement and algorithm development to be informed by rounded and integrated engineering, chemistry, biology and physics insight.

Rapid development not only means the ability to rapidly prototype designs through our partner network and in our own cleanroom facilities but also the ability to make design decisions based on detailed engineering and biological functional testing within our biological labs. We test and confirm performance throughout the development process.

We listen to our clients’ requirements and continuously develop new technologies and services that address needs in biological workflow integration in easy-to-use, low-cost systems.

TTP Desktop Biology has been integral to the success of many of our clients.

At TTP, we are constantly looking to identify emerging market trends and innovation in technology. For example, we expect NGS as a diagnostic, synthetic biology, nanopore technologies and data fusion to become increasingly important in coming years.

We also see a blurring of the distinction between life science and diagnostic platforms, which means that TTP now routinely develops systems that are more research tool in the traditional sense, yet with at least one eye on, and often fully compliant with, FDA and ISO 13485 requirements, so that not being “diagnostic ready” does not limit a system’s market potential in the future.