Labor auf dem Chip

Dr. rer. nat. habil. Rainer Hintsche

30.05.1942

geboren in Delitzsch

1961 – 1966

Studium der Chemie an der Universität Leipzig

1966

Doktorand am Institut für Biochemie, Berlin-Buch

1970

Promotion

1970 – 1983

Gruppenleiter NMR, Zentralinstitut für Molekularbiologie, Berlin

1983 – 1991

Leiter Chip-Biosensoren, Zentralinstitut Molekularbiologie, Berlin

1986

Habilitation

seit 1991

Abteilungsleiter Biotechnische Mikrosysteme im Fraunhofer Institut für Siliziumtechnologie, Berlin / Itzehoe

2000 – 2003

Technischer Direktor bei eBiochip Systems GmbH, Itzehoe

seit 2004

Geschäftsführender Gesellschafter bei eBiochip Systems GmbH, Itzehoe
  

Ehrungen:

1965

Preis der Universität Leipzig

1991

Award of the Eurosensors VI. Conference, San Sebastian

1994

Distinguished Paper Int. Meeting on Chemical Sensors, Rom

1996

Phillip Morris-Preis

2002

ISSCC 2002 Jack Raper Outstanding Technology Directions Paper Award,
San Francisco, Ca, als Co-Autor

Dr. rer. nat. Walter Gumbrecht

20.04.1952

geboren in Erlangen

1974 – 1982

Studium der Chemie in Erlangen

1982

Doktorand am Institut für Physikalische Chemie I, Erlangen

1984

Promotion

1985 – 1989

Aufbau eines Forschungs- und Entwicklungsteams für Mikrosystemtechnische Sensoren und Transducer bei Siemens Corporate Technology, Erlangen

1990 – 1999

Projektleiter Blut-Monitoring-System, Siemens Corporate Technology, Erlangen

seit 2000

Projektleiter elektrische Lab-on-a-Chip-Systeme, Siemens Corporate Technology, Erlangen

1995 – 2000

Mitglied im Fachausschuss „Mikrosysteme in der Medizin“, Verein Deutscher Ingenieure (VDI)

Ehrungen:

2002

ISSCC 2002 Jack Raper Outstanding Technology Directions Paper Award, San Francisco, Ca, als Co-Autor Best Paper Award European Solid State Device Research Conference, als Co-Autor

Dr.-Ing. Roland Thewes

22.10.1962

geboren in Marl, NRW

1984 – 1990

Studium der Elekrotechnik an der Universität Dortmund

1990

Doktorand im Rahmen eines kooperativen Projektes zwischen der Siemens AG und der Universität Dormund

1994

Angestellter in der Zentralen Forschung und Entwicklung, Siemens AG, München

1995

Promotion in Elektrotechnik

1997

Projektleitung von Projekten zur Performancebewertung und Zuverlässigkeit analoger CMOS-Bauelemente und zum CMOS-Analogschaltungsdesign

1999

Übergang zu Infineon Technologies durch Ausgliederung der Halbleitersparte bei der Siemens AG, München

seit 2000

Abteilungsleiter in der Zentralen Forschung, Infineon Technologies, München

seit 2000

Leitung der Forschungs- und Entwicklungsprojekte zu CMOS-basierten Biosensoren, Infineon Technologies, München

1997 – 2004

Mitglied der technischen Programm-Komitees folgender Konferenzen: International Reliability Physics Symposium (IRPS), International Electron Device Meeting (IEDM), European Symposium on Reliability of Electron Devices, Failure Physics and Analysis (ESREF), European Solid State Device Research Conference (ESSDERC)

seit 2003

Mitglied des technischen Programm-Kommitees der International Solid-State Circuits Conference (ISSCC)

seit 2004

Mitglied des IEEE Electron Devices Society Very Large Scale Integration Technology and Circuits Committee

Ehrungen:

1998

Best Paper Award European Symposium on Reliability of Electronic Devices, Failure Physics and Analysis (ESREF), Kopenhagen, als Co-Autor, Vortragender und Initiator der Arbeit

2000

Best Paper Award International Conference on Microelectronic Test Structures (ICMTS), Monterey, CA, als Co-Autor und Initiator der Arbeit

2002

Jack Raper Outstanding Technologies Directions Paper Award International Solid-State-Circuits Conference (ISSCC), San Francisco, CA, als Erstautor und Vortragender

2003

Best Paper Award European Solid State Device Research Conference Florenz, Italien, als Co-Autor und Initiator der Arbeit

2003

GMM / VDE-Preis für hervorragende wissenschaftliche Leistungen im Bereich der Mikroelektronik, München, als Erstautor

Spokesperson

Dr. rer. nat. habil. Rainer Hintsche
Fraunhofer-Institut für Siliziumtechnologie (ISIT)
Abteilungsleiter Biotechnische Mikrosysteme
Fraunhoferstr. 12
5524 Itzehoe
Tel.: +49 (0) 4821 / 17 42 21
Fax: +49 (0) 4821 / 17 42 50
E-Mail: hintsche@isit.fhg.de

Press

Claus Wacker
Fraunhofer-Institut für Siliziumtechnologie (ISIT)
Presse- und Öffentlichkeitsarbeit
Fraunhoferstr. 1
25524 Itzehoe
Tel.: +49 (0) 4821 / 17 42 14
Fax: +49 (0) 4821 / 17 42 50
E-Mail: wacker@isit.fhg.de

Monika Sonntag
Infineon Technologies AG
Manager Technology Communications
St.-Martin-Straße 53
81669 München
Tel.: +49 (0) 89 / 23 42 44 97
Fax: +49 (0) 89 / 23 42 84 82
E-Mail: monika.sonntag@infineon.com

Guido Weber
Siemens AG
Pressereferat Corporate Technology
Otto-Hahn-Ring 6
81730 München
Tel.: +49 (0) 89 / 63 64 90 30
Fax: +49 (0) 89 / 63 64 92 20
E-Mail: guido.weber@siemens.com

By using biochips, even the smallest traces of organic molecules can be detected – for example, to search for toxins in foods. Yet the production and handling of sensors is costly.
How biochips be made easier to use?

Rainer Hintsche, Walter Gumbrecht, and Roland Thewes have found an answer to this question with their invention of a technology that combines biological elements with microelectronic components on the chip. Rainer Hintsche heads the group for biotechnical microsystems at the Fraunhofer Institute for Silicon Technology IST in Itzehoe; Walter Gumbrecht is project manager for the electrical Lab-on-a-Chip systems at Siemens Corporate Technology in Erlangen, Roland Thewes is responsible for R&D projects on CMOS-based biosensors at Infineon Technologies in Munich.

Catcher molecules fish for DNA

Using a biochip, biomolecules such as nucleic acids or proteins, can be traced in watery solutions. According to the lock-and-key principle, biomolecules anchored on the chip – so-called catchers – accurately bind certain other molecules. This produces a highly sensitive sensor for DNA or proteins. Reading of the results with a light beam, however, has usually been technically complex and expensive.

The three researchers succeeded in replacing this method with a considerably simpler and cost-efficient technology. In this case, the results are read on the chip by means of electrical measurements. The basis for this method is the discovery that as soon as it has found its counterpart, a catcher molecule emits an electrical signal which can be directly analyzed.

Mass production of Miniature Labs

The measuring principle developed by Hintsche at IST underwent further development in collaboration with Siemens and Infineon directed by Gumbrecht and Thewes. The goal was to design sensor systems that are both economic and efficient and capable of being manufactured on a large scale for use as miniature labs. The systems first become a “Lab-on-a-Chip” when liquids and reagents are applied to the sensor surfaces. The entire innovation consists of a combination of silicon chip technology, biotechnology, and miniaturized fluidic technology.

The researchers laid the foundation for minute, portable, and at the same time, robust analysis systems in credit-card format. Cost-efficient laboratory diagnostics and rapid on-site analysis, for example, to detect toxins, are possible with the “Lab-on-a-Chip” as is individual analysis to measure a patient’s values. The principle of the electric biochip can be applied both in food analysis, pharmaceutics, as well as in agricultural and environmental analyses. The prize winners have over 50 patents on their inventions.

The right to nominate outstanding achievements for the German Future Award is incumbent on leading German institutions in Science and Industry as well as foundations.

The project “Lab-on-a-Chip – Electrical Biochip Technology” was nominated by the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft.