Exploring the Boundaries of Science with FluidFM

The recent FluidFM Conference brought together a dynamic community of scientists, researchers, and innovators from around the world all eager to share their experiences and breakthroughs. This year, we chose a theme that embodies the spirit of the global FluidFM research community, fostering collaboration and innovation: Connecting Minds. Expanding Horizons.

The official kickoff of the FluidFM Conference 2024: Connecting Minds. Expanding Horizons.

FluidFM Technology: Empowering New Discoveries

The versatility of FluidFM technology is driving progress in diverse fields, from cancer research to immunology and single-cell analysis. Researchers are leveraging the precision and flexibility of FluidFM to explore new frontiers in biological research.

One of the pioneering voices in the community is Dr. Orane Guillaume-Gentil (EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland), a long-standing user of FluidFM technology. Orane has been instrumental in developing many FluidFM applications, most notably the groundbreaking Live-seq technique, which allows for temporal recording of transcriptomics while keeping the cells alive​. As Orane noted:

“Live-seq, combined with the capabilities of the FluidFM OMNIUM, represents an enormous leap forward. The power to conduct temporal single-cell transcriptomics provides groundbreaking insights into cellular behavior and is poised to reshape our understanding of cellular dynamics.”

Margot Le Bot (Institut Curie, Paris, France) is another researcher who has harnessed Live-seq to study cell transitions, particularly in cancer metastasis. Her work focuses on understanding how initial cell states influence metastatic outcomes, which is crucial for advancing cancer therapies.

At the Biomedical Primate Research Centre (BPRC, Rijswijk, Netherlands), Dr. Anne-Marie Zeeman and Dr. Annemarie van der Wel will soon install a FluidFM OMNIUM platform to explore malaria parasite interactions with liver cells. Their goal is to understand how these parasites enter dormancy and reactivate, potentially unlocking new treatments for relapsing malaria.

“FluidFM offers remarkable versatility for our research, enabling us to perform injections, and extractions with a single platform. We are sure we will benefit from this apparatus.”

In the field of immunology, Carmine Cristinzio (ETH Zurich, Switzerland) is investigating how FluidFM can help uncover the mechanisms behind T-cell differentiation. His research aims to determine how memory and effector T cells are formed—a breakthrough that could revolutionize our understanding of immune responses.

“Without a precise single-cell manipulation method like FluidFM, exploring these mechanisms would not be possible. It allows us to isolate cells right after asymmetric division to determine if one becomes a memory cell while the other an effector cell.”

Gabriel Giger (ETH Zurich, Switzerland) has taken FluidFM into the world of microbial ecology, using it to explore live interactions between fungi and bacteria. By implanting bacteria into filamentous fungi, he can track the fate of artificially induced endosymbioses, offering new insights into the dynamics of microbial ecology.

Cytosurge employees enjoying the conference networking breaks.

Innovative Cancer Research Applications

Dr. Young Hun Kim, who operates the FluidFM at the Molecular Cytology Core Facility at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC, New York, USA), is leveraging FluidFM to support a wide range of research projects.

“Because our FluidFM system is housed in a core facility, we can assist many researchers. In particular, it allows us to extract mRNA from live cells to study gene expression changes without causing cell damage. This precision opens new doors for drug response studies at the single-cell level.”

The Power of Collaboration: Building a Thriving FluidFM Community

The FluidFM Conference also highlighted the importance of collaboration and shared knowledge. Dr. Orane Guillaume-Gentil emphasized the value of a supportive community:

“The FluidFM community is growing yet remains close-knit. There’s no competition—just shared enthusiasm in solving challenges together. The more we collaborate and share solutions, the faster we all progress.”

Also, Carmine Cristinzio pointed out how the conference facilitates sharing solutions to common challenges:

“Meeting with others in the FluidFM community is incredibly valuable for sharing insights. It’s easy to miss crucial developments when working alone and learning from others can help solve common challenges.”

Round table discussion "The Future of FluidFM" with, from left to right, Dr. Tamás Gerecsei, Sales Manager at Cytosyrge (moderator), Prof. Bart Deplancke (EPFL, Lausanne, CH), Dr. Tobias Beyer, CSO at Cytosurge, Dr. Amanda McGovern (The University of Manchester, UK), and Prof. Janos Vörös (ETH, Zurich, CH).

Celebrating Excellence: Poster Prize Winner

We also had an inspiring poster session featuring 7 posters from talented PhDs, highlighting cutting-edge research across various fields. We congratulate Nicolett Kanyó (HUN-REN Centre for Energy Research, Hungary) for winning the FluidFM Conference 2024 poster prize with her exceptional poster titled “Measuring Cancer Cell Adhesion and Glycocalyx Degradation via FluidFM and Single-Cell Optical Biosensor,” showcasing groundbreaking advancements in cancer cell analysis.

FluidFM Conference 2024 poster prize Winner: Nicolett Kanyó, HUN-REN Centre for Energy Research, Hungary.

A Special Thanks to Our Community, Sponsors, and the Path Forward

Dr. Samuele Tosatti, CEO at SuSoS AG.

Patrick Lang, Technical Sales & Application Scientist at Nanosurf AG.

To all speakers, participants, and organizers – your feedback and contributions are what push the boundaries of science and technology. A special thanks to our sponsors, SuSoS AG and Nanosurf AG, for their invaluable support in driving innovation.

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As we reflect on this year's conference, we are excited to see the shared knowledge translate into future breakthroughs. The FluidFM community continues to grow, and together, we are shaping the future of single-cell research and more. 
Thank you for making this event a success—we look forward to the next one!

All images © Cytosurge.