FlowRACS Flow-mode Raman-activated Cell Sorter

FlowRACS^®, an automated single-cell sorting system based on the pDEP-RACS technology, enables metabolic-phenome based cell characterization and sorting at high speed via Raman spectra. In FlowRACS^®, no labeling or staining of cells is necessary. Cells line up and move sequentially and rapidly through a checkpoint for Raman-spectrum acquisition. After spectra acquisition, only cells (or microdroplets harboring single-cells) with targeted Raman spectra (i.e., targeted metabolic functions) are collected. The throughput of FlowRACS^® is currently 300-600 cells/min.

Ramanome can quantitatively distinguish bacterial species, and simultaneously reveal catabolism, anabolism, metabolite-interaction network, stress/drug response, species interaction, etc. FlowRACS^® employs a full-Raman-spectrum analysis algorithm that interprets and searches the Raman spectrum in real time when the cell is passing through the checkpoint, so as to achieve the automation and high throughput. The instrument represents a new-generation solution for rapid and low-cost metabolic-phenome profiling, function-based mining of cells and enzymes from nature, and dissection of functioning mechanism of complex biological systems, all at the single-cell resolution.