AutoRAPID project turns into the home stretch: Successful trial order in Erlangen

Prof. Jochen Guck (l.) and Dr. Jens Langjürgen (r.) inspect the setup of the AutoRAPID project. © MPL/Photo: Susanne Veiezens, MPL

The AutoRAPID project combines the biophysical measurement knowledge of the MPL with the technical expertise of the IPA scientists in process automation. © MPL/Photo: Susanne Veiezens, MPL

The fully automated measurement of biophysical properties of hundreds of cell samples in just a few days is the goal of the cooperation project "AutoRAPID," in which scientists from the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light (MPL) in Erlangen and the Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology and Automation IPA in Mannheim are collaborating across locations. For this purpose, the scientists have successfully assembled the individual components of biophysicists and automation engineers in Erlangen for the first time.

Researchers from the Biological Optomechanics Department at MPL, led by Prof. Jochen Guck, have developed a biophysical measurement method that enables them to characterize the mechanical properties of a large number of cells at a measurement speed of 100 to 1000 cells per second. For example, they can demonstrate that biomechanical properties of pathological altered cells differ significantly from healthy cells. The underlying, self-developed measurement method, called "Rapid physical phenotyping in deformational flow" – in German "Schnelle physikalische Phänotypisierung im Deformationsfluss" – abbreviated as "RAPID," is not only the name of the project but also its program: it aims for maximum acceleration of measurement speed. The goal of the AutoRAPID project is to translate the microfluidic measurement method into a fully automated validated analysis system.

In this process, cells flow through a channel system only a few tens of micrometers wide to test their deformability. The researchers aim, in the long term, to measure the effects of variable parameters, e.g., medications, on the physical properties of cells and to utilize this knowledge for therapeutic approaches. The integrated setup has now been assembled in Erlangen for the first time, and the interplay of process automation from sample collection to optical analysis methods has been tested.

Prototype for automating biophysical cell measurement fully functional

The individual components of the AutoRAPID project were successfully assembled into a system in a joint trial order by the two research groups and subjected to a functionality test. The measurement expertise from biophysics is provided by Prof. Jochen Guck's research team, director at MPL.

In the specific setup, the custom-developed fluidic microchip is combined with optical measurement methods. The scientists can analyze the physical properties of cells through an elaborate flow system and focus on different measurements accordingly.

The scientists from Fraunhofer IPA, in the team of Dr.-Ing. Jens Langejürgen, head of the Department of Clinical Health Technologies in Mannheim, contribute their expertise in process automation. While traditional manual measurement of a sample already takes up to 30 minutes of preparation time per sample, the new automated process of AutoRAPID can analyze up to 96 samples in one day. From sample collection and filling of the microchip by a pipetting robot to controlling the three-pump system and the sample analysis itself, all process steps are fully automatable and programmable. Another advantage is the newly developed integrated cleaning process of AutoRAPID: the previously disposable chip is replaced by a permanently installed reusable measurement module.

The AutoRAPID project, planned for four years, is now in its third (research) year and thus enters the crucial final project phase. By the end of 2024, the scientists aim to demonstrate a validated measurement device that performs thousands of measurements automatically. Jochen Guck is optimistic: "It's great to see how a long-planned goal is finally becoming tangible. Soon, we will be able to conduct measurement series that were completely unthinkable just a short time ago." In the next step, the automated analysis method will be tested in practice and subjected to daily real-world testing. Jens Langejürgen is pleased: "Thanks to the excellent collaboration in this project, we were able to quickly set up a sufficiently automated measurement system for the extensive practical testing phase in Erlangen. At the same time, we have an identical copy of the system in Mannheim, which allows us to carry out further optimization steps in parallel. In our joint interdisciplinary project team, we benefit from the very different experiences and approaches."