Fluidigm Corporation was founded in 1999 to commercialize integrated fluid circuits (IFC) – a technology developed by biophysicist Stephen Quake, PhD.   Although scientists predicted the emergence of this technology decades ago, there was a fundamental problem with the materials they were using, and the known techniques for controlling electric circuits were not easily transferable to account for the properties of liquids.  In 1998, Dr. Quake led a team at the California Institute of Technology to solve the problem by developing multilayer soft lithography.  Using a rubber-like material, he was able to create an effective seal to replace silicon as the material of choice and the resulting valve was trademarked as NanoFlex™.  Out of this innovation, integrated fluid circuits and Fludigm was born.

Today, Fluidigm’s mission is to “create and to lead a new industry based on integrated fluidic circuits.”  Recent product innovations seek to reduce cost per experiment and promote great leaps in productivity.  Product lines include the TOPAZ® system for protein crystallization (2002) and the BioMark™ Real-Time PCR System for gene expression and genotyping (2006).  Fluidigm’s portfolio includes more than 80 US patents and over 240 pending international patents with licenses coming from top institutions including Caltech, Harvard, and University of Alabama.

The applications of IFCs are numerous. The BioMark™ system introduces a useful solution for copy number variation studies and maximizes efficiency for gene-expression analysis.  In addition, it helps overcome obstacles for measuring relative gene expression within single cells and can be used for mid-multiplex genotyping as well.  The TOPAZ® Screening Chips raise the efficiency in protein crystallization.  Also, the SlingShot™ Kit quickly sequences and measures the concentration of DNA with great accuracy.

Fluidigm has a strong team comprised of leading scientists, advisors, and highly qualified management.  CEO, president, and co-founder Gajus Worthington has been a leader in the company from the beginning.  Before Fludigm, he served in staff and management positions at Actel Corporation.  Worthington graduated from Stanford with a B.S. in Physics and an M.S. in Electrical Engineering.  Fluidigm’s other co-founder, Dr. Stephen Quake, serves as chair of the Scientific Advisory Board.  He also co-chairs the bioengineering department at Stanford University and is an investigator for the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.  He holds degrees in Mathematics and Physics from Stanford and Oxford.

Fluidigm had hopes to go public earlier this year, though they have halted those efforts until more stable financial times.  Nonetheless, Fludigm Corp’s has fourteen investment firms fueling their continued growth.  Among the funders are Euclid SR Partners, InterWest Partners, Versant Ventures, and Lilly BioVentures.

Based in San Francisco, California, Fludigm distributes their products throughout North America, Europe, and Asia.  They have effectively cornered the microfluids market with their numerous patents and partnerships.  In 2003, GlaxoSmithKline became the first major company to utilize IFC systems, and now all top 20 pharmaceutical companies rely on Fluidigm’s techniques.  In addition, over 20 academic labs and many biotechnology companies are consistently finding new ways to implement IFCs. 

Fluidigm’s methods are attractive because they replace the expensive chemicals and materials needed for alternative robotic systems, allowing samples to be stretched farther.  IFCs are small, precise, and versatile; the reactions are observable due to clear elastomers that make up the IFCs; less sample and reagent is needed to get sufficient results; and the process is far gentler on living cells than its robotic counterparts.

As the company continues to develop and distribute its innovative IFC systems, the potential for advancing life science and like fields – including molecular diagnostics, personalized medicine, and wildlife conservation – is becoming more and more apparent.  According to the official website, IFCs “are doing for life science what integrated circuits have done for computing,” thus likening it to the revolution that occurred in the electronics industry when the integrated circuit (on which IFCs are based) replaced transistors and wiring and thus ignited an age of rapid advancement.  The tools that Fluidigm is developing may provide similar impetus in the field of biotechnology.

By Lauren Barr

Labels: life sciences