Novel imaging-based platform for cell quality and identity control

Project Summary Cell-based manufacturing and therapies, including those using human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs), require careful maintenance and tight control of the identity of cells in the culture. The existing inexpensive cell identity tests typically rely on bulk analysis that does not reveal cell-to-cell variability or the potential presence of distinct subpopulations. On the other hand, single-cell analysis techniques tend to be expensive and complex and require a long turnaround time, often prohibiting routine monitoring of cell identity. The goal of this project is to develop an affordable platform for rapid analysis of hiPSCs identity on a single-cell level. The proposed platform is based on the technologies of microscopic imaging of epigenetic landscape with advanced image analysis, picowell arrays, and fluidic devices that have been recently developed by a team of investigators. The successful completion of the proposed project will result in a new platform for imaging-based single-cell analysis of the identity of hiPCSs with a high resolution, lower cost per sample, and a much shorter turnaround time as compared with the solutions currently available on the market. With some customization, the proposed platform will also be applicable to single-cell identity tests of many other types of cells, e.g., blood cells, neurons, cardiomyocytes, etc., further enhancing the value of the proposed development.