News & Update
Welcome to the MicroTex blog, where we share updates, research highlights, conferences, publications, and discussions related to microscale science and therapeutic innovation. This space explores ongoing research, emerging technologies, scientific insights, and occasional fun facts connected to the work and community of MicroTex.
Inspiring the Next Generation Through Research: A Summer at MicroTex
This summer, MicroTex was pleased to welcome a high school student for a four-week internship as part of the Edinburgh BioQuarter Summer Internship Programme. The programme offers school students the opportunity to gain first-hand experience of research and...
Blog
Reflections from Our First Internal Training Day
Reflections from Our First Internal Training Day Today, the MicroTex team came together for our first internal training day — a focused session designed to align our scientific, regulatory, clinical, and patient partnership perspectives. The programme covered the...
Celebrating Women and Girls in Science: Gertrude Elion
Gertrude Elion, Nobel Prize winner in Physiology or Medicine (1988), transformed the way we develop drugs. While her discoveries—drugs for leukemia, herpes, and immunosuppression—were groundbreaking, her greatest contribution was revolutionising the drug development...
The Crisis in Drug Development: Why 90% of New Treatments Fail—and How MicroTex Is Solving It
Despite decades of scientific breakthroughs, the pharmaceutical industry faces a sobering reality: nine out of ten drugs that enter clinical trials never make it to patients. This staggering failure rate, combined with costs exceeding $1-2 billion and timelines...
MicroTex News
MicroTex Meets Aravind: Expanding the Future of Ophthalmic Technologies
Madurai, India — 24–26 November 2025 In late November, members of the MicroTex team travelled to India to spend time with colleagues at Aravind Eye Care System (AECS), one of the world’s most impactful and forward-thinking eye care organisations. The visit aimed to...
UK Roadmap for Alternative Testing Methods: What it means for MicroTex
The UK government has unveiled an ambitious strategy aimed at accelerating the phase-out of animal testing in favour of novel alternative methods. Backed by significant funding and clear regulatory commitments, the roadmap supports research into organ-on-a-chip...
MicroTex Hub Brings Team Together for Action Group Launch
The MicroTex Hub team recently met in Edinburgh for the latest Hub-wide meeting, bringing together colleagues from The University of Edinburgh, Heriot-Watt University, and The University of Bath, along with several of our committed patient representatives. The meeting...
Meet the Team
Meet the Hub Manager: Dr. Natalie Jones
Dr Natalie Jones is the Hub Project Manager for MicroTex, bringing a combination of deep scientific expertise and strategic project leadership to the ambitious and innovative MicroTex project. With an extensive academic background and hands-on experience working...
Meet the MicroTex Team: Pablo Roldán
We're excited to introduce Pablo Roldán, a Royal Society Newton International Fellow at Heriot-Watt University. With a background in photonics engineering and ultrafast laser microfabrication from the University of Cantabria, Pablo is now applying his expertise to...
Meet Ana Rubio our PPIE Lead
Ana Rubio leads Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) at MicroTex, bringing a unique perspective shaped by her work bridging health research, community voices, and social impact across two continents. As a medical anthropologist with a background in...