Lithuania: Discoveries through encapsulation

Microbial communities are a remarkable feature of the biological world. Understanding the complex dynamics within these communities is a challenging task, yet doing so unearths valuable insights into infectious diseases, antibiotic resistance and other global health risks. In recent years, single-cell sequencing has become a cornerstone of this analysis, driving demand for analytical tools and products. To address this need, a consortium of Lithuanian and German organisations collaborated on a Eureka project, SAGCHIP.

The project brought together Vilnius University and Droplet Genomics in Lithuania and Christian Albrechts University of Kiel in Germany, combining expertise in microfluidics, microbiology and genomics to deliver a high-throughput platform for genome sequencing, along with optimised reagents and protocols. Vilnius University and Droplet Genomics contributed pioneering microfluidics technology, whilst Christian Albrechts University of Kiel provided deep knowledge in microbiology and clinical applications. The resulting platform strengthens pathogen monitoring, supports the discovery of novel enzymes and antibiotics and enhances biomedical research.

Participation in the Eureka project positioned us on a track that fostered stronger collaboration between academia and industry. It is rewarding to see that an idea drafted on paper a few years ago in the Eureka proposal is now a viable product, enabling other scientists to solve various questions in microbiology and life sciences more broadly.

Juozas Nainys – Chief Executive Officer at Droplet Genomics

A new approach introduced by the project team was the use of semi-permeable capsules to isolate whole genomes of single cells from complex bacteria samples. Each capsule functions like a micro-laboratory: the platform can magnify, barcode, sequence and perform phenotype screening on millions of cells in parallel with exceptional resolution. Dissecting heterogeneous microbial populations down to individual cells and isogenic microcolonies deepens fundamental insights into the biological mechanisms underpinning microbial drug resistance, pathogenesis and bioprocesses.

Eureka and the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport of the Republic of Lithuania, through the Research Council of Lithuania, supported the SAGCHIP project, enabling complementary expertise to flourish and accelerating innovation. Together, the partners bridged fundamental science, technology development and product commercialisation. Juozas Nainys, Chief Executive Officer at Droplet Genomics explains, “First and foremost, SAGCHIP allowed us to test and validate our ideas in practice, placing us in a position to concentrate on critical competences and skills.” The team advanced rapidly from concept to market-ready product, transforming high-risk scientific research into tangible innovation with commercial and societal impact. The project results address clinical needs worldwide with improved efficiency and at a reduced cost.

The project also directly contributed to strengthening Lithuania’s biotechnology sector and attracted wider international visibility and recognition. Two patent applications were filed, further solidifying the partners’ competitive position and paving the way for expanding on relevant products and services in clinical microbiology, drug discovery and biotechnology.

The microfluidics platform and associated reagent kit have been launched in European Union and United States markets, creating 30 new jobs for skilled researchers and generating revenue for Droplet Genomics. Following this success, the Lithuanian company attracted multimillion-euro investment from VSquared Ventures and, most recently, secured 25 million dollars in a Series A financing round from Lux Capital and others. This milestone represents one of the largest biotechnology investments in the Baltic states in the past decade.

The SAGCHIP project successfully developed methods for cultivating clinically significant microbes to uncover previously unreachable genetic information. Going forward, researchers now hold the key to unlocking the mysteries of these microorganisms, which will undoubtedly lead to new breakthroughs in healthcare.