STTR Phase I:Rapid-Release Cell Culture Platform for Flow Cytometry

The broader impact of this Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project is to enable new health diagnostics, advance personalized medicine, and accelerate research for various diseases, including many types of cancers. Many methods used to diagnose disease are limited by the methods used to process patient samples. Commonly used processes can disrupt or destroy disease markers present in samples, leading to concerns about diagnostic dependability and accuracy. The proposed product platform can address this pain point by retaining disease markers as well as increasing yields which results in higher-fidelity experimental results and ultimately, enhances diagnostic medicine.The proposed project will advance the development of a transformational biotechnology platform which non-destructively detaches adherent mammalian cells from a cell dish surface. Existing methods can damage these cells and are highly varied in cell yields which greatly limit clinical applications for disease diagnosis and therapeutic discovery. To fulfill its promise as a highly compelling alternative to existing methods, the following technical hurdles will be addressed in this project: 1) determining the optimal composition and design of the material, 2) validating the effects of the platform on cells, 3) using fabrication methods conducive to manufacturing purposes, and 4) benchmarking its performance against existing Flow Cytometry methods for adherent cells.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.