A research group led by Professor Keisuke Goda of the University of Tokyo has developed "Raman image-activated cell sorting (RIACS)". RIACS is the world's first technology to extract desired cells by imaging live intracellular molecules by induced Raman scattering (SRS) microspectroscopy and identifying cells at high speed by image analysis.

 Conventionally, an imaging method using a fluorescent label has been used to analyze an image of each cell and to separate desired cells.However, fluorescent labels have drawbacks such as causing harm to cells, inhibiting their original functions, and being limited to specific types in order to permeate cell membranes.

 Under these circumstances, researchers from various fields have gathered to develop by fusing different fields such as SRS microimaging technology, high-speed data processing system using 10 Gigabit Ethernet, high-speed preparative technology utilizing microfluidic technology, and cell control technology. The achieved RIACS can analyze, identify, and sort individual living cells as they are, at a rate of up to 1 cells per second, without the use of fluorescent labels.

 In demonstrating the principle of this technology, preparative experiments using animal cells and microorganisms were conducted.When a fluorescent label was added and the preparative results were verified with a fluorescence microscope, it was confirmed that the preparative results were correct by RIACS.Furthermore, in the example of the preparative experiment using the green alga Euglena, it was demonstrated that cell sorting can be performed about 900 times faster than the conventional method.

 Since this technology can select cells that were difficult to sort with fluorescent labels and can be applied to a wide variety of cells, new discoveries in biology and medicine, cells in cancer immuno-cell therapy and regenerative medicine. It is expected to develop various applications such as quality evaluation, drug efficacy evaluation for cells in drug discovery, biofuel development, and screening of microorganisms with high material production efficiency in the smart cell industry.

Paper information:[Nature Communications] Raman image-activated cell sorting

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