(182b) Protective Polymer Coatings for the Enrichment of Rare Cells

Rare cells present a significant analytical challenge for sensing systems. An entirely new approach to cellular sorting will be presented that is based on the selective deposition of a protective coating on a cell and the destruction of all unprotected cells. Critically, the system is designed for high purity, where all uncoated cells are readily lysed. Purities >95% are common when sorting mixtures of cultured cells. Minority cancer cell populations are enriched from erythrocyte-depleted blood to >99% purity, whereas the entire batch process requires 1 h and <$2000 in equipment. Batch scale-up is only contingent on irradiation area for the coating photopolymerization, as surfactant-based lysis can be easily achieved on any scale. Multiple modes of protection will be discussed, as will their relationship to mechanical properties and molecular transport across the polymer coating. Finally, we will discuss the release of viable, functional cells from these protective polymer coatings.