BIO-LOGIC SCIENCE INSTRUMENTS LTD

Their core work

Bio-Logic Science Instruments Ltd, operating under the Uniscan brand, is a UK-based SME that manufactures specialist electrochemical measurement instruments — in particular scanning electrochemical microscopes and nanoscale electrode-based characterization tools. Their core value to research consortia is providing commercial-grade instrumentation capable of resolving single-cell and single-entity electrochemical events, which is a technically demanding capability not available in most academic labs. In both H2020 projects they participated as a third-party industrial partner in Marie Skłodowska-Curie training networks, hosting early-stage researchers and contributing instrument access, application expertise, and an industrial perspective on translating nanoscale measurements into practical analytical workflows. Their participation bridges fundamental electrochemistry research with commercially deployable measurement technology.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Both projects run in the same 2019–2023 window, so there is no meaningful multi-year timeline shift within the H2020 portfolio itself. That said, the keyword split across the two projects reveals a thematic progression: the first project (SENTINEL) centers on fundamental nanoelectrochemistry — nanopipettes, nanoelectrodes, single-cell analysis, and catalysis — reflecting instrument capability in a physics-first context. The second project (BREAK BIOFILMS) shifts that same instrumentation toward applied microbiology: bacteria, biofilms, nanoantimicrobials, biocides, and rare cell detection. This suggests Uniscan's instruments are being pulled toward life-science and antimicrobial applications as a high-value market beyond pure materials science.

Uniscan is moving from fundamental nanoelectrochemistry toward applied biomedical and antimicrobial contexts, suggesting future collaboration opportunities in infection control, medical device coatings, and biosensor development.

How they like to work

Uniscan has not coordinated any H2020 project — their entire portfolio is as a third-party industrial partner embedded in MSCA Innovative Training Networks. This is a deliberate and common role for instrument SMEs: they provide lab access, industrial supervision, and secondment opportunities for doctoral researchers rather than leading scientific work packages. Their consortia are large by design (MSCA-ITN networks typically involve 10–15 partner institutions), which explains the high partner count of 34 across just two projects. Working with them means engaging an industrial host rather than a scientific lead.

Despite only two projects, Uniscan has touched 34 unique consortium partners across 14 countries — a breadth entirely driven by the multi-institutional structure of MSCA-ITN consortia, which are intentionally pan-European. Their network is wide but shallow: many one-time academic contacts rather than deep recurring partnerships.

What sets them apart

Uniscan occupies a rare position as a commercial instrument manufacturer that actively participates in cutting-edge academic training networks — giving academic partners direct access to proprietary scanning electrochemical technology that cannot simply be built in-house. For a consortium needing validated, commercially supported nanoscale electrochemical measurement capability alongside an industrial secondment host for doctoral researchers, they are one of very few UK-based SMEs that can credibly fill this role. Their strength is not scientific leadership but industrial credibility: an external host with real products, real customers, and the ability to show researchers how lab discoveries translate to market-ready instruments.

Highlights from their portfolio

• SENTINEL
  Targets the detection of single nanoparticles and cells — one of the most technically demanding frontiers in electrochemistry — placing Uniscan at the core of a research area with direct applications in diagnostics and nanotoxicology.
• BREAK BIOFILMS
  Combines nanoscale electrochemical measurement with microbiology and antimicrobial design, showcasing Uniscan's instruments in a high-impact applied domain with clear relevance to medical devices, industrial surfaces, and water treatment.