This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project propses to demonstrate that moving optical gradient forces, Optophoresis, provide selective and sensitive analysis and sorting of cells important to optimizing bioreactor production processes. Isolation of stable cell populations, as related to functional phenotype, and maximizing viable cell density are critical to the efficient and economic production of protein-based therapeutic agents. The ability to remove pro-apoptotic cells will significantly improve bioprocess technology. This Phase I effort will demonstrate the analysis, sorting, and recovery of non-apoptotic cells for further manipulations, and the isolation of cells with certain biological characteristics, for example secretion levels. In a microsorter device, cells will be simultaneously analyzed and sorted by the optical gradient force based on the native cell characteristics (such as size, morphology, dielectric properties etc.). The objectives of the Phase I project are : 1) to build an optical and microfluidics workstation; 2) to fabricate microfluidic devices for aseptic loading and recovery of cells, 3) to identify and characterize apoptotic and secretor cell models, 4) to demonstrate that Optophoresis can discriminate between different cell subpopulations, and 5) to collect sorted populations for further manipulations. In the follow on Phase II project, the microsorter instrument will be further developed for both research and continuous on-line monitoring needs. The commercial applications of this project include bioprocess engineering, clinical diagnostics, cancer testing, environmental monitoring, tissue engineering, and drug discovery
