SBIR Phase II: Vertical Perifusion System for Cell Culture and Monitoring

这项第二阶段的SBIR研究开发了在模型系统中监测活细胞的工具，该模型系统能够在较长时间内将细胞维持在接近正常的条件下。灌注室允许人们以非侵入性的方式实时询问细胞的代谢反应。潜在地，这项技术可能会开放一些组织进行更详细的研究，并作为活体动物测试的替代方案。该项目的更广泛影响包括细胞生理和行为科学的重大进步，疾病的机制途径，以及对细胞信号、生长和死亡的更好理解。合理设计更有效的药物依赖于不断提高细胞机制的基础知识。在商业上，这项创新将降低药物开发、测试和临床试验的成本，从而为美国医疗保健行业带来广泛的好处。

This Phase II SBIR research develops tools to monitor live cells in a model system capable of maintaining the cells over extended periods in near normal conditions. The perfusion chamber allows one to interrogate the metabolic response of cells in real-time in a non-invasive manner. Potentially, this technology could open a number of tissues to examination in further detail for research and as an alternative to live animal testing.The broader impacts of this project include significant advances in the science of cell physiology and behavior, mechanistic pathways of diseases, and improved understanding of cellular signaling, growth and death. Rational design of more effective drugs depends on ever improving fundamental knowledge of cellular mechanisms. Commercially this innovation will lower the cost of drug development, testing and clinical trials, thereby providing broad benefit to the US healthcare industry.