Say Cheese: Avantor, p-Chip Bring COI Compliance to Clinical Consumables

Avantor has announced a collaboration agreement with p-Chip Corporation, focused on co-developing a new generation of "smart consumables" by embedding p-Chip’s innovative digital microtransponder technology into standard laboratory and clinical consumables (1). p-Chip microtransponders have been used in such real-world applications as thwarting Parmigiano Reggiano cheese counterfeiters (2).

The pharmaceutical industry, especially sectors focusing on individualized and precision treatments, faces aggressive demands for high-fidelity sample traceability and a secure chain-of-identity (COI) (1). Personalized treatments, including advanced cell and gene therapies, require that patient samples be unambiguously identified, monitored, and linked to all associated data throughout the entire process, from collection through manufacturing and final administration.

This innovation supports Avantor’s mission to enable scientific breakthroughs by meeting high-value customer needs in rapidly evolving areas like personalized medicine. The initiative embeds digital identification directly into common labware, delivering end-to-end traceability and automated process control (1). The following outlines the key implications of incorporating these digitally intelligent consumables for professionals working across drug discovery, development, and manufacturing.

How are consumables tracked?

Consumables such as vials, slides, cassettes, tubes, and plates will be embedded with durable p-Chip microtransponders, which are tiny silicon chips about the size of a grain of salt (2). This hardware provides a secure, unique identifier, enabling secure tracking and verification of critical samples and reagents at every step of a workflow.

How will this improve COI compliance?

The collaboration is designed to provide next-generation solutions for digital process control that specifically enable compliance with COI requirements (1). By equipping labware with secure, unique digital identifiers, the system helps labs maintain an unbroken COI for samples, supporting the authenticity verification that innovative treatments demand.

Which therapies benefit most?

The secure, automated tracking solutions are critical for managing the complex workflows required by precision and individualized therapies, most notably advanced cell and gene therapies. Embedding digital intelligence into lab solutions accelerates the digital transformation of pharmaceutical and healthcare processes, supporting improved patient outcomes.

References

1. Avantor. Avantor Announces Partnership with p-Chip Corporation to Develop Solutions for Digital Traceability of Smart Consumables. Press Release. Oct. 23, 2025.
2. Comments received via email correspondence on Oct. 23, 2025.