Pipetting Robot Dispenses and Traces Individual Cells

(EPFL, August 12, 2020)

EPFL spin-off SEED Biosciences recently developed a pipetting robot called Dispencell that can dispense individual cells one by one without damaging them, while simultaneously recording the cells’ electrical signature using a 50-year-old mechanism called a Coulter counter. This innovation therefore allows for enhanced reliability and traceability, can save researchers several weeks of precious time and as a result, has the potential to greatly speed up development work in pharmaceuticals, cancer treatments and personalized medicine. SEED Biosciences is currently working on a feature that can distinguish damaged cells from healthy ones, and is carrying out a funding round to support its market launch.