Automated Cell Culture System To Improve In Vitro Studies

 

Fluidigm Corporation announced last week the CallistoTM, a microfluidic cell culture system  that can revolutionize the development of in vitro cell models. With this fully automated system, manual procedures and long hours at the bench are avoided. This will allow consistent results, homogeneity, accuracy and reproducibility of protocols, key aspects for stem cell and cell-based research.

Stem cell and other cell researchers rely on complex cell culture protocols that are difficult to reproduce and result in highly heterogeneous sample populations. These manual, plate-based studies are time-consuming and require a complex multi-stage workflow with dozens of  steps. Protocols must be performed in a precise manner over several weeks. All this will drastically change with the Callisto system. It will allow researchers to develop simpler and safer protocols with more easily controlled outcomes.

Callisto allows multifactorial dosing in 32 individual chambers for simultaneous cell culture. This allows transfection experiments and a precise environmental control of cells in a microfluidic environment.

Among many uses, Callisto will accelerate and improve cell culture experiments about stem cell fate decision, cellular reprogramming, differentiation, characterization, dose response studies, analysis of developmental stages and behavior of living cells. All of this in a controlled microenvironment over the course of several weeks.

The Callisto system includes the automated instrument, specialized integrated fluidic circuit, reagent kit, and software suite. Callisto can be integrated with Fluidigm’s Biomark™ HD, CyTOF®, and C1™ systems. It is currently available for pre-order and is expected to begin shipping in the second half of 2015.