The inventors engineered a set of LbCas12a mutants through rational design and directed evolution. The engineered mutants can function as efficient genome editors with minimized trans-activity.

The present invention features a method and device that addresses the need for a low-cost and easy-to-use method and device to pattern a sharp interface between two or more cell populations or, more generally, two or more coatings wherein their interfacing properties are of interest. As a result, the present invention enables new types of experiments that analyze cell-cell interactions and the study of tissue biology in general. 

The invention is an integrated device that provides a high efficiency single cell encapsulation solution. The two core modules of the invention are responsible for generating the cell encapsulating droplet, then sorting the generated droplets to eliminate the empty ones. Such a two-step process yields a high throughput, single cell indexed droplets, with an overall encapsulation efficiency reaching 80%, which is crucial for various applications ranging from genomics and proteomics to pharmacology.

UCLA researchers in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering have developed a Compliant Membrane Acoustic Patterning (CAMP) technology capable of patterning cells in an arbitrary pattern at a high resolution over a large area.

Researchers at the University of California, Davis have developed a device that can capture, analyze, and monitor volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by cell cultures through a bioreactor exhaust line – thus eliminating the need to contact the cell culture directly.

To meet the ever-growing demand for effective, safe, and affordable protein therapeutics, decades of intense efforts have aimed to maximize the quantity and quality of recombinant proteins produced in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. CHO cells are extensively used to produce biopharmaceuticals and one advantage is their reduced susceptibility to many human virus families. However, there have been a few episodes of animal viral contamination of biopharmaceutical production runs, mostly from trace levels of viruses in raw materials. These infections more often caused by RNA viruses have led to expensive decontamination efforts and threatened the supply of critical drugs. Viral contamination in biopharmaceutical manufacturing can lead to shortages in the supply of critical therapeutics. Therefore there is a need to understand the mechanisms by which CHO cells are infected and how the cells can be universally engineered to enhance their viral resistance.

Researchers at UCLA have developed an approach to construct an embryonic kidney in vitro for the treatment of end stage renal disease.

UCLA researchers have developed a novel method for enriching, expanding, and maturing populations of skeletal muscle progenitor cells (SMPCs) from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs).

A method for creating a 3D micro-bubble plate for patterning biological and non-biological materials. Because each sample is at a known location, large numbers of samples may be studied and allow for significant statistical data sets, which will aid in diagnosing unknown agents or diseases inexpensively.

A plate manufactured to enable samples of cells, microorganisms, proteins, DNA, biomolecules, transfectants, and other biological media to be positioned at specific sites. Some or all of the sites are built from removable material so that samples may be isolated.

This technology is a micro-patterned plate made of an array of releasable elements surrounded by a gel or solid wall, and a process for manufacturing the micro-patterned plate. This is an efficient way of studying samples for statistically significant data sets of cells or biological materials for important scientific research and medicines.

UCLA researchers from the Department of Psychiatry has created a novel cell-based seeding assay for sensitive, specific and high throughput detection of mutant Huntingtin proteins in biological samples.

Cartilage lesion treatments require expanding cells from healthy donor cartilage which have limited availability and restricted potential to produce cartilage. This invention overcomes these challenges, presenting chemical and physical methods for enhancing cell populations capable of producing neocartilage. According to a 2015 global market report, tissue engineering technologies are expected to reach over 94B USD by 2022.

UCLA researchers in the Departments of Pediatrics and Chemistry & Biochemistry have developed a microfluidic device for delivery of biomolecules into living cells using mechanical deformation, without the fouling issues in current systems.

Researchers at the University of California, Davis have cultured a titi monkey adenovirus (TMAdV,) and used the virus to develop a model of human respiratory disease.

Media that contains nutrients and growth factors is necessary to grow all types of cells, a process that is widely used in many fields of research. Such media should be routinely changed either to different media or a fresh batch of the same media. This change currently involves either using a pipette to transfer cells from their current dish of media to a new dish, or aspirating the media out of the dish and replacing it with new media. Both methods have inherent risks to stressing and damaging the cells. Researchers at UCI have developed a unique dish for growing cells that allows for safer aspiration of the old media, which reduces stress and damage to the cells.

Researchers at UCLA have developed a malignant neuroendocrine prostate cancer cell line that was derived from benign human prostate tissue and transformed with the oncogenes MYCN and myristoylated AKT1.

Researchers at the University of California, Davis have developed several immortalized human epidermal cell lines.

Huntington’s disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative genetic disorder caused by abnormal function of mutated Huntingtin protein. The invention uncovers an antibody to a new post-translational modification site that affects human Huntingtin aggregation and pathogenesis of HD.

Researchers in the UCLA Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics have developed a novel means of generating adult skeletal muscle-equivalent myofibers from human pluripotent stem cells.

In Huntington’s Disease (HD), aberrant splicing of the huntingtin protein can produce a highly toxic peptide that accumulates in the brain. The invention describes methods to minimize the toxicity of spliced proteins.

Biotherapeutic proteins manufactured in cell culture systems have transformed modern medicine. Selling many tens of billions per year, new biotherapeutics such as monoclonal antibodies have delivered dramatic clinical results, while posing significant manufacturing problems.: During the cell culture manufacturing process, toxic bioproducts such as lactate and ammonia have posed considerable challenges in bioprocessing, since they limit cell growth and impact critical quality attributes of recombinant protein production (e.g., therapeutic drugs, enzymes). That is because the lactate alters the regulation of biosynthetic enzymes, and can lead to changes in pH in the culture. To mitigate the negative effects of lactic acid accumulation and control the culture pH, chemical ‘base’ is added to the media during the course of a bioprocess. However, the base addition negatively impacts the bioprocess by inhibiting growth and shortening the length of time in which the cells can produce the recombinant protein. This leads to reduced yield, and increased cost-of-goods. Thus, it is of great interest to eliminate lactate production, and UC San Diego researchers have recently developed a new process for achieving this.  

Researchers at the University of California, Davis have developed a new and simple, label-free method to detect milligram levels of RNase activity in undiluted biological samples that is selective, accurate and scalable.

Many applications, ranging from in vivo cell culture growth to drug delivery, rely on microcapsules to encapsulate and protect cells or molecules until their desired release. These microcapsules are typically generated in immiscible fluid, which must be depleted before they can be effectively used. Researchers at UCI have recently developed a paper-based microcapsule extraction technique that is quicker, cheaper, and less damaging than conventional methods.

Researchers at UC Irvine have developed a novel immunofluorescent imaging strategy to identify cell subsets of interest, in particular cancer stem cells, endothelial progenitor cells, and other primary adherent cells from tumor biopsies.