Organs-on-Chips technology notably received the international Design of the Year Award from London’s Design Museum.

Developed by researchers from Harvard University’s Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, the microchips are lined with microfluidic tubes containing human cells that mimic organs, such as lungs, kidneys, livers and hearts. The innovation allows research on new drugs without testing on animals.

In 2014, Emulate Inc. launched out of the Wyss Institute to bring Organs-on-Chips to commercialization. The company is developing a platform that would allow for the personalized treatment of patients based on tests using their own living cells.

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Virtual reality headsets could change the way brain surgery is performed. At UCLA, neurosurgeons are now using the technology to go inside their patients’ brains to practice maneuvers before and during surgery.

“It’s just amazing to see every little opening in the skull where a nerve goes through,” Neil Martin, chairman of UCLA’s Department of Neurosurgery, told CBS News. “I’m virtually inside the skull of the patient, walking around, floating around.”

Martin says use of the technology could lead to shorter, safer surgeries.

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The FDA has developed a drug shortages app to quickly provide public access to important—and sometimes critical—information about shortages. The app identifies drug shortages, resolved shortages and discontinuations of drug products.

Users search or browse by a drug’s generic name or active ingredient, or by therapeutic category. Users can also report a suspected drug shortage or supply issue to the FDA through the app. It is available for free via iTunes and Google Play by searching “FDA Drug Shortages.”