# Acquisition of a Cell Sorter for Systems Biology and Cellular Engineering

> **NIH NIH S10** · UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA · 2020 · $439,244

## Abstract

Acquisition of a Cell Sorter for Systems Biology and Cellular Engineering
Project Summary/Abstract
We request a fluorescence activated cell sorter to advance the research in the Systems Biology and Cellular
Engineering group at the Penn School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS). This proposal recognizes
a need within Penn Engineering's growing focus at the interface of synthetic biology, systems biology, and cell
and tissue engineering. These efforts lie at the core of five major NIH supported users and 11 secondary
users. These efforts include:
At the molecular level, evolving reporters to study neuronal connectivity (Chow) and engineering
optogenetic probes to dissect genome topology (Phillips-Cremins).
At the cellular level, isolating specific immune cell populations from heterogeneous mixtures to study
leukocyte migration (Hammer) and to engineer innate immunotherapies against solid tumors (Discher).
At the cell population level, isolating and interrogating rare cell populations underlying cancer drug
resistance through new RNA barcoding techniques (Raj).
The new fluorescence-activated cell sorter will fill significant and growing demand for sorting capabilities local
to the engineering school, which is in the midst of a 33% expansion of its faculty as part of its Penn
Engineering 2020 campaign. The sorter will relieve tight timing constraints on experiments carried out by our
major users, caused by near-capacity utilization of sorters in nearby cores, most prominently within the
Abramson Cancer Center (ACC). Local sorting capabilities in the engineering school will also significantly
reduce current limitations on sample preparation caused by lengthy sample transport to the ACC from
engineering buildings (Towne, Skirkanich, and Moore Halls).
We will leverage Penn's institutional strength in cell sorting by partnering with the ACC Flow Cytometry and
Cell Sorting Shared Resource (ACC SRL), who will maintain the instrument (through daily quality assurance
and maintenance of a service contract) and ensure successful and compliant operation. Accordingly, the
requested sorter will expand the capabilities and reach of the core, which serves NIH funded investigators
across five of Penn's schools: Medicine, Dental, Veterinary, Arts and Sciences, and SEAS.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9940092
- **Project number:** 1S10OD026986-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
- **Principal Investigator:** Lukasz Bugaj
- **Activity code:** S10 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $439,244
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-07-10 → 2022-07-09

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9940092

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9940092, Acquisition of a Cell Sorter for Systems Biology and Cellular Engineering (1S10OD026986-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9940092. Licensed CC0.

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