The Innovation Team was established in 2008 to mature and translate to clinic the early stage technologies and inventions at the BioMEMS Resource Center. The team works in tight collaboration with the research and clinical teams to translate technology to clinical utility. The interplay of the Clinical Team defining the clinical need, the Research Team identifying technical solutions, and the Innovation Team making the technology work in clinical practice provides a dynamic cross-functional team addressing meaningful clinical problems.

The Innovation Team further strives to develop new clinical and research applications from the core technologies at the BioMEMS Resource Center. Led by industry vetran (Cellomics, Verinata) and Enterpreneur in Residence Ravi Kapur, the Team brings a product development approach and focus, and has a combined 50+ years experience innovating microfluidics for clinical applications.

Current projects include support of the MGH-led Stand Up 2 Cancer CTC-Chip Dream Team, and a milestone based co-development agreement with Johnson & Johnson to develop its next-generation CTC isolation platform.

High Resolution Imaging of Circulating Tumor Cells

This research is developing lossless methods for analysis of circulating tumor cells. Microfluidic platforms are used for immuno-magnetic depletion of normal (negative) cells from the blood of metastatic cancer patients. Isolated cells are immobilized on glass surfaces for staining and high resolution imaging.

The image shows a circulating tumor cell from a metastatic breast cancer patient captured next to a white blood cell. Both cells were stained for immunofluorescence microscopy. The differences in staining allow the two cell types to be distinguished.