See Without
Destroying
Non-destructive, label-free cell analysis in under 24 hours.
“We have tools to look inside the body without killing the patient, so why should we have to kill cells to understand disease?”
THE PROBLEM
The 14-Day Bottleneck
Current sterility and quality testing methods are slow, destructive, and bottleneck manufacturing of life-saving therapies.
14–28
DAYS
Current sterility testing timeline. Every day of delay costs manufacturers hundreds of thousands in holding costs and delayed patient access.
100%
CELLS DESTROYED
Traditional flow cytometry kills or damages cells during analysis. Chemical tags, fluorescent dyes, and lethal shear forces leave nothing viable for further study.
$2.2B
ANNUAL RECALL COSTS
Contamination and quality failures in cell and gene therapy manufacturing create billion-dollar consequences across the biopharmaceutical industry.
THE TECHNOLOGY
How cellPhoresis Works
Every cell has a unique dielectric signature. We use it to separate populations without destroying them.
The Physics of the Cell
Every cell type has a unique dielectric signature—defined by its membrane capacitance, cytoplasm conductivity, and size. When placed in a non-uniform electric field, cells experience a force called dielectrophoresis that moves them.
By combining microfluidics with precisely controlled electric fields, cellPhoresis separates cells based on their electrokinetic mobility ratios (EKMr). No tags. No dyes. No killing.
The output is live, viable cells—ready for culture, drug response testing, or further study. We don’t just identify cells. We hand them back to you, alive.
CAPABILITIES
- ✓
Sort cell populations
Separate cancer cells from immune cells, identify contamination
- ✓
Culture sorted cells
Study behavior, test drug response on viable populations
- ✓
Monitor viral load
Track viral dynamics in real time without destroying samples
- ✓
Track disease progression
Observe living cells over time, not just a static snapshot
APPLICATIONS
Where cellPhoresis Matters
Vaccine Sterility
CEPI FundedRapid sterility testing for vaccine manufacturing. Our CEPI-funded program ($199,238) validates cellPhoresis for detecting contamination in vaccine production lines, reducing testing from weeks to hours.
Gene Therapy QC
Quality control for viral vector manufacturing. cellPhoresis detects empty virus particles and distinguishes full from empty capsids—critical for ensuring gene therapies actually deliver their payload.
Pathogen Detection
DOD FundedRapid pathogen identification for field settings. DOD-funded development for distinguishing MRSA from MSSA in minutes, plus bacteriophage susceptibility testing for antibiotic-resistant infections.
Cell Therapy Research
Live cell sorting for research and drug development. Sort cancer cells from immune cells, test drug response on viable populations, and track disease progression over time—not just a static snapshot.
RESULTS
From Weeks to Hours
cellPhoresis replaces a 14-28 day testing process with results in under 24 hours—without destroying a single cell.
DEMONSTRATED
MRSA vs MSSA
Rapid distinction between methicillin-resistant and methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus using dielectric signatures alone. No culture step required.
VALIDATED
Viral Load Monitoring
Real-time tracking of viral dynamics during the COVID-19 pandemic. Positioned as resilience infrastructure for rapid response to emerging pathogens.
PORTABLE
Point-of-Care Ready
Miniaturized from large microscope setups to compact, field-deployable systems. Designed for DOD field settings, manufacturing floors, and clinical environments.
BACKING
Backed by Science, Funded by Mission
$1.05M
SBIR/STTR
DOD / USAF / DHA — 2 Phase I + 1 Phase II awards for rapid pathogen detection and viral load monitoring
$199K
CEPI GRANT
Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations — rapid vaccine sterility testing validation
$1.25M+
TOTAL FUNDED
Non-dilutive government funding validating cellPhoresis technology across defense and global health
COLLABORATORS
Academic Partners
cellPhoresis is developed in collaboration with leading research labs in dielectrophoresis, biophysics, and neural stem cell engineering.
ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY
Hayes Lab
Prof. Mark Hayes
Microfluidics and separation science. Dielectrophoresis, electrophoretic exclusion, and diagnostic technologies for differentiating biological particles with unprecedented precision.
Visit LabARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY
Ros Lab
Prof. Alexandra Ros, PhD
Analytical chemistry and microfluidics. Electrokinetic methods for biomolecule and sub-cellular separation, single cell analysis, and microfluidic tools. School of Molecular Sciences & Biodesign Institute.
Visit LabUC IRVINE
Flanagan Lab
Prof. Lisa Flanagan, PhD
Neural stem cell biology and bioengineering. Non-invasive methods for identifying stem cell fate potential using dielectrophoresis. Sue & Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center.
Visit LabABOUT
Built by an Engineer Who Studies Life
David Charlot, PhD, MSEng founded Charlot Biosciences in 2016 with a simple conviction: the best understanding comes from observation, not destruction.
His career traces a line from liquid biopsy at Biological Dynamics, to programming cells at Ginkgo Bioworks, to building cellPhoresis at CBio. At each step, the same question: how do we see what’s happening inside living systems without killing them in the process?
He doesn’t fall in love with products. He falls in love with the problem—and adopts whatever tool is best suited to solve it.
COMPANY PROFILE
- Founded
- 2016
- Headquarters
- Tampa, FL
- Core Technology
- cellPhoresis™ — Dielectrophoresis + Microfluidics
- IP Portfolio
- 5+ patents filed
- Publications
- IEEE, peer-reviewed journals
- Certifications
- Minority-Owned, Socially & Economically Disadvantaged
- Government Funding
- $1.25M+ (DOD, CEPI)
GET IN TOUCH
Let’s Talk
Whether you’re a pharma manufacturer, a defense program manager, a research institution, or a fellow founder—we’d like to hear from you.
“The best understanding comes from observation, not destruction.”
Strength and Honor.