10078155ImpulsonicsClosedCollaborative R&DInnovate UKThe growth of biotechnology and precision medicine relies on the ability to safely and precisely move living cells. Many of the processes that require this are repetitive, time consuming and unreliable when performed manually. "Cell passaging," is a prime example. This is the process where cells which have filled the container they are growing in are transferred into new containers to continue growing. It must be repeated every 3 days when expanding a cell population. It is crucial to good quality pre-clinical drug testing and indeed the manufacture of pharmaceuticals (8/10 of the world's best selling drugs in 2021 were manufactured using cloned cells \[Bico Annual Report 2021\]). Despite this, many cell-processing operations are still largely carried out manually due to the complexity of the process. Acoustic beams can streamline these processes, reducing the cost, hands-on time and risk of contamination. This project will apply this cutting-edge technology to key areas of biotech automation, slashing the costs and making the advantages available across all areas of biotech. This will help address some of the biggest challenges facing society - from combating pandemics by rapidly developing novel vaccines to supporting an aging population by developing individually tailored treatments.