The CAPPA centre at Cork Institute of Technology (CIT) has been successful in being part of a collaborative team called to the second phase of the Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund (DTIF). The consortium is led by Hooke Bio, an emerging biotech company and spin out company from the University of Limerick, with CAPPA and NUI Galway as partners. The aim of the project is to develop a multi-chambered, automated, drug-testing instrument.
 
The project will be developed by employing the expertise that Hooke has developed in its initial product. CAPPA will assist in developing the photonics, imaging and image analysis elements, pushing the system from a single line test unit to an eight or potentially 16 line unit. HookeBio envisages expanding its range of tests to other cell lines and disease models and are also interested in personalised medicine. Taking samples of cells from patients and screening the relevant disease specific drugs against these samples. The high content screening and image analysis is a process that is going to grow in sophistication. The optics and software development will form part of an ongoing collaboration between Hooke Bio and CAPPA in the future.