For more than 60 years isothermal microcalorimetry has been used in measurements of the rate of heat production in living organisms. Results are often used as a measure of their “activities” and it has repeatedly been predicted that such techniques will become useful in many areas of applied biology, e.g. in the pharmaceutical industry and in clinical laboratories. However, the low sample throughput of available instruments has prevented their use in practical work. In 1999 a joint project with Dan Hallén (at the pharmaceutical company Pharmacia & Upjohn, Stockholm) was initiated. The aim was to develop a multi-channel isothermal microcalorimeter for the simultaneous measurement of many samples, thus leading to an increased sample throughput. 

A 48-channel instrument was designed and built in Lund. Results of test experiments carried out in Stockholm were very satisfactory; the detectability approached 10 nW and the 24 h baseline stability was better than 50 nW. In 2004 Hallén formed a company, SymCel, for the development of a commercial version of the Lund instrument. The close contact with Lund continued until Hallén’s premature death in 2011. SymCel was reconstructed and the development work continued. However, the contacts between SymCel and Lund became marginal until the development work on the commercial instrument system was almost completed in 2014. Its 48-channel microcalorimeter was essentially the same as the Lund instrument, whereas electronics and other peripherals were much improved. The properties of the instrument system are presently investigated by scientists from Sweden (I. Wadsö, J.  Suurkuusk and M. Jansson) and Switzerland (O. Braissant and T. Wenzler). The study, (coordinated by I. Wadsö) is expected to be completed in early 2016.

Contact person: Ingemar Wadsö