Kyoto University developed a model microchip using human iPS cells to measure the transport capacity of the membrane proteins and potentially give test animals some respite. This micro-physiological system -- or MPS -- is designed to reproduce the mechanisms of glucose reabsorption and drug excretion in the renal proximal tubules in vitro and ex vivo, mimicking human epithelial cells. Results show that glucose uptake and transport are at significantly higher rates through the engineered co-culture tissue than through monocultures