High throughput cell separation device

• Subject Area: Medicine
• Term: Funded in 2020
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 447860429

Currently, the separation of cells and cell subsets is usually performed by a magnetic system with manual purification. The cells are labelled with specific antibodies coupled with magnetic particles, trapped in a magnetic field and then rinsed out again at high pressure. This procedure is associated with a high stress potential for the cells and is particularly toxic for sensitive cell types such as human stem cells. An alternative is purification using a cell sorter in the adjacent Core Facility. However, this method is not sterile and involves a high risk of contamination. The device applied for, on in contrast, is capable of very gently purifying complex cell populations by means of the expression of surface markers. This purification is carried out under low pressure, without compression or alteration of the electrical charge. The purity of the sorted cells usually reaches ≥ 95% after separation The process is completely sterile, since it works in a completely closed system, so that cells can be kept without the addition of antibiotics. Furthermore, the separation of the cell populations after initial setup is fully automated, which results in a significant time saving.

• DFG Programme: Major Research Instrumentation
• Major Instrumentation: Hochdurchsatz-Zellseparationsgerät
• Instrumentation Group: 3500 Zellzähl- und Klassiergeräte (außer Blutanalyse), Koloniezähler
• Applicant Institution: Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg
• Leader: Professor Dr. Michael Hudecek