Exploring the market potential of photoporation as the next generation of intracellular delivery technology for the R&D and cell therapy markets (INTRACYTE)

Delivering macromolecular compounds into living cells in vitro or ex vivo is a common requirement for both fundamental biological research as well as biomedical applications. Examples include the intracellular delivery of gene editing molecules to unravel molecular pathways or to create engineered therapeutic cells. Photoporation, which combines laser irradiation with light-sensitive nanomaterials, is an upcoming physical intracellular delivery technology for delivery of a variety of molecules into a broad range of cell types with high delivery efficiency, low cytotoxicity, single cell precision and minimal hands-on time. After several years of research on photoporation, the INTRACYTE project is aimed at translating this technology for R&D as well as clinical applications connected to cell-based therapies. This includes further development of nanomaterials and instrumentation next to setting up international collaborations with key opinion leaders in various application areas. At the end of the project the aim is to have a clear view on the valorization opportunities for photoporation as a next generation transfection technology.