The goal of the project is to develop a small, easy-to-use instrument to perform cell cycle studies, and related work on cellular proliferation, aging, partitioning and development, on both eukaryotes and prokaryotes in steady-state growth. This new technology will apply a concept currently used for cell cycle studies on bacteria. In the procedure, cells are grown on a surface such that each time a cell divides, one new daughter cell remains attached to the surface and the other is released form the surface. As a result, newborn cells are shed continuously form the surface for use in any cell cycle/cell age investigation. The unique aspect of the technique is that the investigation can be performed on large quantities of cells in long-term, undisturbed, balanced growth. In the instruments to be developed in this project, the surfaces will be covered with a pattern of small spots to which cells will adhere, with a matrix between the spots to which the cell will not adhere or will adhere less firmly. The project entails: the production of appropriate cell adherent surfaces the testing of the surfaces in an experimental flow cell system, the design and construction of the culture apparatus for large-scale production of cells of uniform age, and the evaluation of the instruments for cell cycle studies on cells in steady-state growth.
