Researchers sort cells by electrical function without external labels

Researchers in Singapore and China demonstrated a chip that sorts cells by electrical properties without attaching external labels, including cells with no obvious difference in size or shape. The study appeared in Small Methods. A polymer solution aligns cells, electrodes measure their responses at 1 and 5 megahertz, and a timed sound wave diverts selected cells into a collection outlet. Sorting differently sized cells reached up to 98% purity. The harder test, separating engineered cells by their functional electrical state, achieved 85.4% purity because responses overlapped. Research and drug screening are the nearest-term applications; clinical samples remain a future goal.