I-Corps Teams: Novel Rapid Non-destructive Cell Culture Platform

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This project aims to evaluate the commercial potential of a rapid non-destructive cell culture platform based on polymer textures that change shape by adjusting the temperature. Cell culture is a common activity in medicine and research in which cells are taken from a source, such as a patient, and put into a culture dish to multiply. A challenge in this activity is to remove the attached cells from the cell culture dish for further use. If cells remain attached for too long and overpopulate the surface they die, so they have to be regularly transferred to a new dish. The current most popular method of removing them from a dish uses a chemical dissolving agent which dissociates them but also damages or kills the cells. Afterward, cells have to be rinsed and need about a day to recover before they can be used or studied. It's only done this way because currently, there isn't a better alternative. The motivation for this project is driven by the need for greater reproducibility in laboratory testing of human cells. This technology is important in the advancement of stem cell research/therapies, eliminating animal testing for pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and consumer products, as well as other medical-related areas which use culture of cells. The proposed technology is significant because it allows for a faster and non-destructive option for culturing cells as compared to current technologies available in the market place. To evaluate the commercial potential of the proposed technology, a rapid non-destructive cell culture platform, this team will engage in direct conversations with potential customers and trade partners to determine what is considered innovation in the cell culture market, identify a market-supported price to acquire this innovation, and develop an effective market activation strategy. The potential impact for this technology in several markets using cell culture is: $170 billion market for stem cell related activities and a $14.7 billion total cell culture market (2013) which is estimated to grow to $24.5 billion by 2018. Product development activities will consist of investigating rapid device fabrication, validation of release and viability with various cell types including stem cells, and developing non-confluent cell release. Development of this technology into a commercial product could positively impact the speed and accuracy with which cell culture is performed. The resultant advances in stem cell research and clinical tests can lead to faster diagnosis, cure, and management of disease in humans.