Research Symposium

BIO

Hi, my name is Elona Berisha. I'm from West Palm Beach, Florida. I am a second-year student at Florida State University majoring in Biomathematics. I am on the pre-medical track with aspirations of becoming a pediatrician.

Statistical Modeling on Cell Encapsulation

Abstract

The encapsulation of a single target cell in a micro-fluidic droplet through a droplet generation system is a biomedical engineering technology that contributes to a variety of medical practices and research. Cell encapsulation is a mechanism to keep cells viable as a potential tool for the treatment of human illnesses, such as cancer, diabetes, and Parkinson's disease. The number of cells per droplet is a key design parameter in research studies which follows a Poisson distribution due to the inherent randomness of cell flow in micro-channels. The statistical modeling of this process is a way to understand the cell population in a droplet and optimize the probability of having single target cells per micro-droplet. A statistical analysis using Poisson distribution and a hydrodynamical theoretical model to estimate the droplet size based on fluid and flow properties were used to aid in studying the cell population per droplet. Our model can predict the distribution of cells per droplet based on fluid and flow physical parameters, micro-channel geometry, and cell count per volume. This information can help biomedical researchers design their cell encapsulation experiments by tailoring the relevant parameters to optimize their desired cell population in a droplet.

Keywords: Statistics, Cell Encapsulation