# STTR Phase I: Developing an optical metabolic flow cytometer to screen T cell fitness for Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T-cell Therapy

> **NSF 01002526DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT** · SELIGHT, LLC (WI) · $304,733

## Abstract

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is a rapid diagnostic method for identifying patients that will benefit from Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T cell therapy. Chimeric Antigen Receptor T cell therapy is an emerging clinical method of producing lasting remission in cancer patients by re engineering patient’s own T cells. The therapy also remains under active investigation for other emerging applications. The T cells in nearly half of cancer patients eligible for CAR T cell therapy are not sufficiently healthy to be successfully manufactured into viable and effective CAR T cells for use as intended. This leads to CAR T cell manufacturing failures for 15-69% of patients, resulting in a significant burden to the health care system with an estimated cost of $375k per patient along with increased risks to patient morbidity and severe adverse events. The system aims to be the first to correlate specific quantifiable energy measures with CAR T cell manufacturing failure risks. If successful this new screening method would provide a high throughput system capable of identifying patients at high risk for CAR T cell manufacturing failure with reduced time, labor for optimization and reagent validation than current methods. This would allow patients to pursue other clinical options sooner rather than undergoing ineffective CAR T therapy thereby enabling them to see alternative viable options sonner while reducing unn

## Key facts

- **NSF award ID:** 2451768
- **Awardee organization:** SELIGHT, LLC (WI)
- **SAM.gov UEI:** HRE7VJH5NJD3
- **PI:** Amani Gillette
- **Primary program:** 01002526DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT
- **All programs:** INSTRUMENTATION & DIAGNOSTICS
- **Estimated total:** $304,733
- **Funds obligated:** $304,733
- **Transaction type:** Standard Grant
- **Period:** 07/01/2025 → 12/31/2026

## Primary source

NSF Award Search: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2451768

## Citation

> US National Science Foundation, Award 2451768, STTR Phase I: Developing an optical metabolic flow cytometer to screen T cell fitness for Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T-cell Therapy. Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-07 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nsf/2451768. Licensed CC0.

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