CellectCell, Inc., a company started by Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience researcher Andrés García, announced the receipt of Phase II funding from the Georgia Research Alliance (GRA).

“We are very excited about this GRA Phase II funding that will allow us to 
expand the library of cells that we can purify using the uSHEAR technology,” said García, co-founder of CellectCell with former Petit Institute researcher Todd McDevitt, who left the Georgia Institute of Technology to join the Gladstone Institutes.

The company’s initial focus is the commercialization of a disposable cell culture cartridge for academic and commercial research. This product is developed from adhesion strength-based isolation techniques discovered by the Georgia Tech researchers and is exclusively licensed by CellectCell from the Georgia Tech Research Corporation. 

CellectCell will use the GRA Phase II funding to advance the technology through design & development into scale-up, manufacturing, and commercial launch.

“We are excited to be collaborating with GRA to take this breakthrough cell selection and isolation technology and transform it into products that will allow research laboratories and manufacturing companies to select for specific cell types with higher sensitivity and specificity than currently available isolation techniques,” stated Rebecca Marshall, president of CellectCell.  “Because the technology is based on the natural properties of cells and is label-free, the process does not adversely affect cell viability or phenotype. We believe CellectCell has the potential to revolutionize the way stem cells and their progeny are isolated for research, diagnostic and therapeutic applications.”

 The GRA Ventures Program has launched 150 new companies and created nearly 1,400 jobs.  GRA’s portfolio of companies has attracted more than $778 million in equity investment to date. 

“We are pleased to continue building a reputation for Georgia as a center of discovery and invention by investing in the commercialization of this new technology,” said H. Lee Herron, GRA’s vice president of commercialization. “We believe adhesion strength-based cellular selection is groundbreaking technology, and are encouraged to see it find a home in CellectCell, with an experienced team of entrepreneurs and scientists behind it.  This is an exciting step forward for Georgia Tech and the bioscience industry.”

CONTACT:

Jerry Grillo
Communications Officer II
Parker H. Petit Institute for
Bioengineering and Bioscience