A flow cytometer that separates signals by glow time so it works with more dyes and costs less
Official title: Compensation-Free Flow Cytometer with Expanded Reagent Choices and Reduced Manufacturing Costs
Funded at Kinetic River Corporation · NIH-11370630 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project is building a lab machine that makes multi-color cell testing easier and cheaper for researchers working on HIV, immune disorders, and cancers.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Kinetic River Corporation NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Mountain View, United States) |
| Project start | July 15, 2025 |
| Project end | March 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $999,993 |
| NIH project number | 5SB1GM157775-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11370630 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are people whose blood or tissue samples are used in multi-color flow cytometry research studies, such as participants in HIV or cancer research programs.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who do not have samples run by flow cytometry or who are not enrolled in research using these machines are unlikely to see direct benefit.
What this research studies
If your blood or tissue is tested in lab research, this new machine (called Arno) aims to make those tests clearer by using both color and how long a dye glows to tell signals apart. That extra timing information reduces the confusing overlap between fluorescent labels, so technicians won't need complicated correction steps. The company has already shown the approach works on biological samples with a 12-color panel, and now plans to add more compatible dyes and lower manufacturing costs so more labs can use it. Wider adoption could make research workflows faster and reduce errors in comparing patient samples across studies.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could improve the accuracy and reduce the cost of lab tests used in HIV and cancer research, helping researchers get clearer data faster.
How similar studies have gone: Previous Phase I and II SBIR work by the same team validated a compensation-free 12-color panel on biological samples, demonstrating prior success with this approach.
Where this research is happening
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Kinetic River Corporation
Mountain View, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Vacca, Giacomo — Kinetic River Corporation
- Study coordinator: Vacca, Giacomo
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.