This $174,195 Project Grant award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) Engineering program (CFDA 47.041) aims to develop new cell sorting technologies based on measuring the fluorescence lifetime of the molecule NAD(P)H, which can indicate cell metabolic activity. The primary goals are to (1) create a single-cell deposition module that can identify stem cells within mixed populations based on NAD(P)H fluorescence lifetimes, and (2) separate metabolic subpopulations within stem cell lines to improve quality control. This label-free, rapid cell sorting technique could significantly enhance the isolation and characterization of stem cells for research and therapeutic applications. The award, which runs from Aug 2024 to Jul 2026, will be performed by the University of Wisconsin - Madison's Research and Sponsored Programs division. No sub-awards are planned under this grant.