CellSight – Rapid, Native Single Cell Mass Spectrometry

UT-Battelle, LLC, acting under its Prime Contract No. DE-AC05-00OR22725 with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for the management and operation of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), is seeking a commercialization partner for the CellSight System which provides a rapid system for native single cell mass spectrometry. The ORNL Technology Transfer Office will accept licensing applications through March 16, 2020. ORNL researchers have developed a single cell analysis system to measure cellular chemistry using mass spectrometry. This CellSight system enables untargeted chemical analysis of cell suspensions with single-cell resolution. The system utilizes single-cell droplet ejection and liquid extraction mass spectrometry to measure cellular chemistry quantitatively, with high throughput, in an untargeted manner and without any sample preparation or molecular staining required. Droplet ejection isolates individual cells that are captured in a continuously flowing liquid solvent via an extraction–mass spectrometry technology pioneered and patented at ORNL. Upon being exposed to the solvent, the cell ruptures due to the change in osmotic pressure. The analyte molecules are then measured using mass spectrometry in an untargeted or targeted manner. The CellSight system measures cellular chemistry quickly (1 s/cell) and can process thousands of molecules simultaneously. These unprecedented capabilities will provide critical insights into cell chemistry. Knowledge of the chemical constituents in single cells, including lipids, metabolites, and proteins, is valuable for applications such as determining cellular function, understanding molecular mechanisms inside cells, and designing targeted therapies. Most studies measure cellular chemistry in aggregate, and, thus, information on cellular variations is lost and understanding of cellular function impeded. Research related to disease treatment, pharmaceutical drug development, cell signaling, and cell function will be aided by rapid characterization and quantitation of a cell’s molecular components, with detail provided by resolving single cells. This technology was originally developed using federal funds and selected for further development under ORNL's Technology Innovation Program (TIP). TIP supports technology development using royalties from existing technology licenses to accelerate the market readiness of high potential technologies. License applications will be evaluated based on prospective partners' ability and commitment to successfully commercialize the technology. If a license is executed, the ORNL researchers developing the technology will be eligible to compete for additional TIP funding to further advance the technology. Please contact Jennifer Caldwell, Group Leader, Technology Commercialization, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, 865.574.4180, [email protected] with any questions and to obtain a license application for this opportunity. Intellectual Property UTB ID 201804255, Rapid Native Single Cell Mass Spectrometry, U.S. Patent Application 16/685,740 and PCT Patent Application PCT/US2019/61802, filed on November 15, 2019. Additional information Please visit our ORNL webpage for additional inforamtion including technical overviews and videos at https://www.ornl.gov/content/tip-talks .