Single cell analysis using imaging cytometry for a better understanding of critical diseases

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Microfluidics can be defined as the science and technology of handling small amounts of liquids. Microfluidic devices typically involve networks of channels in the micrometre size, offering an ideal environment for precise manipulation of biological cells, e.g. for detection or sorting applications. A large variety of designs, most commonly with a small footprint (~cm2), have consequently been engineered to tackle pressing medical challenges, from cancer cells or pathogens detection, gene delivery or to create "organs-on-a-chip" to mention a few. For the current work, cells of interest are blood cells. Blood cells are commonly monitored in clinical settings, whereby disproportion of a certain subpopulation (e.g. immune cells) might be indicative of a disease. Recent advances in microfluidic technologies have shown that beyond cell numbers, blood cell morphology and deformability can also be precisely monitored, with identifiable changes in disease for example due to COVID 19. Developing engineering innovations that could help better understand these cellular changes can offer a new route for patient monitoring, diagnosis and treatment. The goal of this project is to lead the development of a suite of miniaturized, microfluidic-based devices capable of sorting blood cells according to their morphological and mechanical features at high throughput. Blood cell characterization will be performed using a state-of-the-art deformability cytometer combined with new imaging approaches (e.g. using single-photon avalanche diodes). Bespoke microfluidic devices will then be designed and manufactured to separate cells based on identified features (for instance a certain deformability range of red blood cells).