ORION will build a smart microfactory to foster personalized cancer treatments.

The Cell Biology Group, led by Laura Suter-Dick, will participate in ORION – one of the projects selected as part of the Innosuisse Flagship AI in Life Sciences with a Focus on Human Health.

ORION will build a smart microfactory to foster personalized cancer treatments. Starting from tumour-specific inputs (patient data and tissue), the microfactory will create tumour models and adapt their cellular make-up and microenvironment to reflect real patient samples.

Work packages include:

• refining tumour models using live sensor feedback and sequencing data
• validating tumour models against past treatment outcomes
• safety testing of therapies, including their effects on organ models like liver, lung, and kidney – where the FHNW’s expertise in cell biology and in vitro toxicology will be key.

The project aims to identify new biomarkers, accelerate drug discovery, better identify promising therapies for clinical trials, and in the long run, lead to digital “tumour twins” that simulate how patients might respond.

ORION is led by Jérôme Charmet from Haute Ecole Arc, in collaboration with NEXUS Personalized Health, the University of Bern, the FHNW, CSEM, and Switzerland Innovation Park. Numerous implementation partners will help ensure translation from the lab to industry and to patients.