This project leverages new collaborations between biomedical and engineering investigators to develop new methods for the sorting and isolation of immune cells, where the precise trajectory of individual cells are controlled and sorted on a chip analogous to the way electrons are controlled inside computer circuits. This set of tools allows for fundamentally new methods to study phenotype, genotype, and the morphology of single or pairs of single cells, over extended periods of time with precision that is unparalleled by existing techniques, such as flow cytometry and flow cell sorting. The overall stated aims of this research are to develop the engineering platform and demonstrate a biological application for a lab-on-a-chip device that can analyze thousands of single cells over long durations, exposure to multiple stimuli, and enable the extraction of individual, high-value, cells for furthe immunological analyses (RT-PCR, clonal expansion, etc.).
We aim to 1) design and fabricate a lab-on-chip assay optimized for biological applications, 2) optimize the assay for biological applications, and 3) use this novel assay to study early cellular events in the disruption of HIV latency.

Public Health Relevance

The goal of this project is to create a new laboratory tool for the study of individual immune cells. Detailed study of cells is important in characterizing the immune response in a variety of diseases in order to develop new drugs and therapies to treat human diseases.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
3R01GM123542-03S1
Application #
9735692
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZRG1)
Program Officer
Sakalian, Michael
Project Start
2016-09-20
Project End
2021-08-31
Budget Start
2018-09-01
Budget End
2019-08-31
Support Year
3
Fiscal Year
2018
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
Duke University
Department
Internal Medicine/Medicine
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
044387793
City
Durham
State
NC
Country
United States
Zip Code
27705
Ohiri, Korine A; Kelly, Sean T; Motschman, Jeffrey D et al. (2018) An acoustofluidic trap and transfer approach for organizing a high density single cell array. Lab Chip 18:2124-2133
Abedini-Nassab, Roozbeh; Joh, Daniel Y; Albarghouthi, Faris et al. (2016) Magnetophoretic transistors in a tri-axial magnetic field. Lab Chip 16:4181-4188