Development of next-generation microfluidic technology device for detection of circulating cancer cells

As cancer advances, tumour cells detach from their original site and migrate through the bloodstream to form new, secondary tumours. Determining the numbers of circulating tumour cells (CTCs) in the bloodstream indicates the cancer stage and can inform the clinician as to the most appropriate treatment; if the CTCs can be recovered from the test, this also allows identification of the original tumour site via genotyping. 

However, the number of CTCs is small – typically 1ml of blood contains 1-20 CTCs depending on cancer stage, compared to 4 million white blood cells and 2 billion red blood cells. Consequently, a method of trapping CTCs from a blood sample, eliminating the blood cells and allowing recovery of the captured CTCs would be highly valuable. 

ANGLE PLC has developed and patented the Parsortix® instrument, which uses pressure-driven separation to filter blood samples through a disposable cassette. The cassette has been designed to enrich and purify the samples, or more specifically, allow blood cells to passively pass through whilst retaining the larger, less compressible CTCs. To date, in-house testing (at ANGLE Europe Ltd) has shown the cassette to be effective at capturing CTCs.

This project will focus on developing a next-generation microfluidic separation cassette that enables faster sample processing while increasing capture of target cells compared to the current separation cassette, using novel biophysical approaches in increase selectivity, speed and efficiency. The student will have an opportunity to develop a wide range of skills, including cell biology, biophysics, microfluidics, and computer simulation, supported by our highly interdisciplinary research team. Work will be split between the University of Surrey and ANGLE PLC, which are both located in Guildford, England.

Due to the interdisciplinary nature of the work, we are happy to consider graduates with degrees in engineering, physics, chemistry or life sciences.  You will need to meet the minimum entry requirements for our PhD programme.

This studentship is for UK students only.

Centre for Biomedical Engineering