Microfluidic Disposables and Instrument for a Single-Cell Western Blotting System

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The goal of this project is to provide a broadly available research tool that allows the direct measurement of protein expression heterogeneity through massively parallel, single-cell resolution Western blot analyses. This method promises to revolutionize diverse fields such as stem cell differentiation, drug discovery, and cancer biology by allowing researchers to directly study heterogeneity in protein expression and cellular signaling and function. This capability will enable many clinical advances including improved cancer therapeutic efficacy, companion diagnostic development for targeted therapies, and cell-based therapies for regenerative medicine. In response to a specific NIH funding opportunity announcement thatcalls for proposals to help move useful technologies from non-commercial laboratories into the commercial marketplace, Zephyrus Biosciences is commercializing a single-cell Western blotting technology that has been developed by researchers at the U