Our goal in this Phase 2 SBIR proposal is to develop and optimize the components for a novel cell migration assay. In Phase 1, we demonstrated that liquid crystals assume a predictable orientation in response to cellular membranes, and therefore they could be used in a sensitive, rapid, generalizable method for reporting cell number. In this application, we propose to build on the ability of liquid crystals to accurately report cell number and spatial location in the development of a quantitative assay for cell migration. This innovative approach will provide a technology with many intrinsic advantages over current methods by reducing labor, time and cost and by providing compatibility with high throughput formats. ? ?
