MagnaChip Partners With Mass General to Develop Rare Blood Cell Monitoring Technology

Seoul, South Korea-based MagnaChip Semiconductor has teamed up with Massachusetts General Hospital and Pohang University of Science and Technology’s Analog IC Systems Lab to develop 0.18 micron silicon magnetic biosensor technology capable of monitoring extremely rare cells found in blood.

The R&D initiative is MagnaChip’s first foray into the medical field. The company currently produces analog and mixed-signal semiconductors for commercial uses, such as electronics and engines. The goal, according to interim CEO YJ Kim, is to create a cost-effective, early detection biosensor platform.

Hakho Lee of the MGH Center for Systems Biology and Harvard Medical School will spearhead the Boston group, while Jae-Yoon Sim of Pohang’s Electrical Engineering Department will lead the Korean counterpart. — Kellen Owings