The National Laboratory Animal Center (NLAC) supports foundational domestic research directed at strengthening the field of animal testing, in addition to providing specific pathogen-free (SPF) laboratory rodents and high-tech threshold core technologies. The Center is also deeply involved in expanding the evaluation and approval of novel medical drugs, high-level medical material, and intestinal microbial research. NLAC is committed to promoting the 3Rs (Replacement, Reduction, and Refinement) in animal experiments. In order to simultaneously progress animal experiments and alternative testing, the Center uses human tissue to develop avatar medicine, integrating microfluidics, biomedical sensing, and three-dimensional cell culture technologies across domains while developing Organ-on-a-chip (OoC) systems and other testing alternatives. Professional courses have also been set up to optimize the professional skills related to laboratory animal testing for veterinarians, technicians, breeders, and facility managers. NLAC→
Establishment of laboratory animal care and surgery facility
Constituting a laboratory animal resource alliance
Connecting supply networks to provide a complete selection of laboratory animals
Following the rapid development of the global biomedical industry, laboratory animals have become important resources in preclinical animal studies. NLAC connects domestic and foreign lab animal supply units together to form an animal resource alliance that provides a complete selection of lab animals, including rabbits, dogs, pigs, and monkeys, to meet the demands of domestic users and elevate research standards.
Humanized mice made-in-Taiwan
Ideal model for drug tests that opens up limitless future medical possibilities
NLAC is committed to developing prospective lab animals. After two years of enthusiastic efforts, NLAC has successfully established a useful mouse strain: advanced severe immunodeficiency (ASID). The said mice lack congenital and acquired immunity and generally do not reject heterologous cells and tissues. Therefore, human tissues or cells can be xenografted into ASID mice to accurately reflect the actual conditions in patients. Such model will be valuable for drug screening as well as for investigating the causes of diseases and ultimately for developing new therapies. These efforts will benefit significantly to the development and the quality of fundamental research and biomedical industries in Taiwan.
Testing Hub for Biomedical Products
Integrating animal models with related technologies to provide customized animal experiment services as well as a tumor testing service
NLAC provides comprehensive tumor test-related resources and services including specialties of oncology, genetic modif ications, animal-related experimentation, 3D medical imaging, and veterinary. NLAC also provides diversified tumor transplantation animal models, and anticancer drug efficacy assessments to facilitate drug development.
Organ-on-a-Chip Development
Next-Generation Innovative Tools for Biomedical Research
Organ-on-a-chip (OoC) integrate microfluidic devices, organ-specific microenvironment simulation, and MEMS-based biomedical chips, serving as innovative tools for next-generation translational biomedical research. They not only have the potential to replace animal experiments but also accelerate drug development, paving the way for precision medicine. From a technological perspective, OoCs can leverage Taiwan's strengths in integration, which could create new value for Taiwan in the global biomedical research.
To facilitate the development of Taiwan’s domestic medical device industry, TIRI establishes the Medical Device Testing and Verification Laboratories at Hsinchu Biomedical Science Park in Zhubei City. It effectively helps the R&D teams reduce their cost in terms of time and money when applying for FDA approved product commercialization. TIRI→
NARLabs Medical Device Accelerator
Linking the upstream, midstream and downstream industrial supply chains of the medical devices industry; solving issues regarding industry technology, verification, regulations, clinical and media marketing all in one shot; establishing an innovative ecosystem to promote the commercialization of medical devices; integrating with the global market.
World's First COVID-19 Rapid Test Chip Receives Emergency Use Authorization
Silicon Based Molecular Sensoring Technology CO., LTD. (Molsentech), Academia Sinica, NARLabs' Taiwan Instrument Research Institute (TIRI) under MOST, and Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital (KSVGH) have collaborated to develop the world's first "COVID-19 Rapid Test Chip," which can quickly and accurately detect very low levels of the virus in patients at the early stages of infection or in asymptomatic COVID-19 patients, all in under 20 minutes. The product has completed validation through clinical tests on 142 cases at KSVGH through a grant from MOST's Innovative Technology and Epidemic Prevention On-site Validation Program, and is expected to be available for sale in February 2022 after obtaining an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the Taiwan Food and Drug Administration (TFDA) of the Ministry of Health and Welfare at the end of 2021. News→
First Taiwan-made Rapid Test Kit for Periodontal Disease
TIRI bridges National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) and Taiwan Advance Bio-Pharmaceutical Inc. (TABP) to develop Taiwan’s first “Quick Screening Kit for Periodontal Pathogens” to identify periodontal pathogens. Unlike traditional test methods for periodontal disease, the rapid test kit does not cause pain and discomfort during the testing process, and can complete testing in 6 minutes at any clinic. News→
Biomedical Information – NCHC Life Science Cloud
Based on high performance computing cluster and cloud server, this platform provides libraries, software, and packages for analysis and computing in realm of life science, medicine, and agriculture. The platform is optimized to fit characteristics of biological data to improve computing services.
With regard to applications, it can be used for large scale genome analysis and computing, comparison of genomes, correlation analysis, searching for biomarkers and specific image patterns, and searching for pathogens and decoding the blueprint of life based on genetic background, so as to explore the mysteries of life science. Furthermore, disease-related biomarkers and artificial intelligence identification models can be established for applications in agricultural and precision medical testing products. The cloud analysis platform's services will help meet demands on analyzing big data from routine tests in the field of automated agriculture and clinical medicine. NCHC also provides customized service on setting up R&D analysis platforms, biological information systems and database.
Medical Image Illustrator & VIML VR Viewer
1. Introduction
- A total solution for biomedical image from processing to visualization and interaction in VR
- Miil (Medical image illustrator)
- VVViewer (Visualization interactive media lab's VR Viewer)
2. Scientific Breakthrough
- Using Miil software, we can import DICOM format image then labeling and segment the image directly. After processing the image, we can export the data and import to VVViewer for visualization and interaction in 3D VR environment.
3. Industry Applications
- Image labeling and segmentation.
- Tools for AI supervised data preparation.
- Virtual Reality.
- Training and education.
- Surgery planning.
- Doctor-Patient Relationship.
