Overview

• Researchers at the University of Washington and the Brotman Baty Institute have built an automated stem cell-sorting robot that uses a claw-machine design to pick individual gastruloid-bearing microrafts.
• Gastruloids are stem cell-derived structures that mirror the third week of human gestation when the three primary germ layers form.
• The platform combines a microscope, digital camera, precision sorting stage and microraft collection tools under custom software control.
• Automated sorting enables detailed study of single gastruloids to reveal intrinsic developmental variations and mechanisms like aneuploidy self-correction.
• Published June 10 in APL Bioengineering, the technology is poised to accelerate research in developmental biology, genetic disorders and regenerative medicine.