As part of the collaboration, eCyte has deployed its Raman-Activated Microfluidic Sorter (RAMS) at CMI’s laboratory in Franklin Antonio Hall. The system enables rapid, non-destructive functional analysis and sorting of microorganisms at single-cell resolution, providing a powerful tool for functional screening and multi-omics research.
Additionally, eCyte is working with CMI to co-develop a demonstration node for iMAPS (in situ Metabolic Atlas by Precision Single-cell Sorting), an international initiative announced at the 2026 CMI International Microbiome Meeting. This collaboration highlights the growing role of single-cell Raman technology in advancing microbiome research.
Dr. Andrew Bartko, Executive Director of CMI, noted: “eCyte’s technology addresses a core challenge in microbiome research: label-free functional analysis of complex communities. This partnership supports our mission to enable the discovery of functional microorganisms for human health and environmental applications.”
A representative from eCyte added: “Joining UCSD CMI aligns with our commitment to advancing single-cell Raman technologies in complex biological systems. We look forward to supporting UCSD’s research efforts.”
Through this partnership, eCyte continues to expand its global presence, providing advanced single-cell functional sorting technologies to support innovation in microbiome science, synthetic biology, and related fields.