The FDA is working with Emulate to create organ-on-a-chip programs that will potentially negate the need for animal models in preclinical research, according to Endpoints News.

The partnership aims to build a "human emulation system" inside the agency that could eventually be used for toxicity testing for products like foods, cosmetics, and dietary testing.

"The focus is to assess the system's capability, putting the chips, software, and instrumentation in the hands of FDA researchers, so they can better understand its potential in surpassing animals for this kind of work," said Geraldine Hamilton, president and chief science officer for Emulate.