Acoustic levication platform for containerless cell processing and drug screening
LevCell is a containerless sample-processing platform designed for the biggest bottleneck in low-input biology and chemistry: sample loss to tubes, tips, and liquid-liquid interfaces. In conventional workflows, that loss is manageable for bulk samples, but at small scale (e.g. single cell) it reduces sensitivity and introduces bias because biomolecules with different properties are lost unevenly. That makes LevCell especially relevant for single-cell proteomics, genomics, metabolomics, rare-cell analysis, biomarker discovery, drug screening ,and cell-therapy characterization.
LevCell uses acoustic levitation to suspend a cell-containing droplet in air, eliminating liquid-solid contact and leaving only an air-liquid interface. The system uses actively controlled ultrasonic transducers, humidity and temperature control, computer vision to support cell lysis and downstream processing. After digestion, peptides can be directly loaded for LC-MS analysis. Our automated platform can run in parallel and process more than 1,000 reactions a day.
In our testing with very small samples, including single cells, LevCell achieved higher sensitivity and recovery than container-based processing, with more peptide/protein signal and reduced bias from surface adsorption. Publicly shared comparisons show improved PSM, peptide, and protein intensity, better IDs across signal-to-noise thresholds, and evidence that standard tubes selectively lose peptides based on physicochemical properties. We have also demonstrated multi-omics readout from a single human cell, including DNA/RNA and proteomic recovery.
We now have a fully automated LevCell system that can accept cell suspensions and perform fluorescence-based sorting, droplet injection, DNA/RNA separation, and direct protein/metabolite analysis by mass spectrometry. We are seeking industry partners interested in single-cell workflows, multi-omics platforms, translational research, and next-generation sample-prep instrumentation
About University of Illinois Chicago
UIC researchers are advancing discoveries across the life sciences, engineering, computer science, energy, manufacturing, public health, biomedical and other fields. Our scientists are supported by funding from the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Energy, and other federal agencies.
Through UI Health, UIC offers a major academic health system with deep expertise in translational research, clinical trials, health information sciences and community-engaged healthcare. Beyond campus, UIC collaborates extensively with industry, other universities, national laboratories, government agencies, healthcare systems, and nonprofit organizations to translate research into real-world impact. From cutting-edge core facilities and specialized research infrastructure to world-class faculty and interdisciplinary research centers, UIC provides partners with access to a uniquely urban innovation ecosystem designed to accelerate discovery, commercialization and societal benefit.
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