Intelligent Cell Search Engine

A fundamental challenge of biology is to understand the vast heterogeneity of cells, particularly how cellular composition, structure, and morphology are linked to cellular physiology. Unfortunately, conventional technologies are limited in uncovering these relations. We present a real-time machine intelligence technology based on a radically new architecture that realizes real-time image-based intelligent cell search and sorting at an unprecedented rate. The technology integrates high-throughput cell imaging, cell focusing, and cell sorting on a hybrid software-hardware data management infrastructure, enabling real-time automated operation for data acquisition, data processing, decision making, and actuation. Specifically, we use it to demonstrate real-time sorting of microalgal and blood cells based on intracellular protein localization and cell-cell interaction from large heterogeneous populations for studying photosynthesis and atherothrombosis, respectively. Our technology is highly versatile and expected to enable machine-based scientific discovery in biological, pharmaceutical, and medical sciences.