A new instrument to understand how immune cells work

Dynamic single-cell analysis instrument to evaluate immune cell function

NIH-funded research Cellchorus INC. · NIH-11323428

This project is developing a special instrument that uses advanced imaging and AI to watch individual immune cells in action, helping us understand how they fight diseases like cancer.

Quick facts

Grant typeSbir 2 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionCellchorus INC. NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Houston, UNITED STATES)
Project IDNIH-11323428 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

This project focuses on building Chronos, a dedicated instrument designed to work with the CellChorus TIMING platform. The TIMING platform allows scientists to place cells in tiny wells and then rapidly take time-lapse images over several hours. These images are then analyzed by AI to understand how cells behave, which is especially useful for studying immune cells like CAR T cells. The goal is to make it easier for researchers to use this technology to identify the most effective immune cells for treatments.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: This project is developing a research tool and does not directly involve patient participation at this stage, but future applications could benefit patients receiving cell-based therapies.

Not a fit: Patients not undergoing or considering cell-based immune therapies would not directly benefit from this specific instrument development.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this instrument could help identify more effective immune cells for therapies, potentially leading to better treatments for patients with conditions like cancer.

How similar studies have performed: The underlying TIMING technology has shown promising results in identifying potent CAR T cells, as highlighted by a recent publication in Nature Cancer.

Where this research is happening

Houston, UNITED STATES

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.