PHC Corporation’s Biomedical Division (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan; President: Nobuaki Nakamura) has been awarded the 2024 Innovation Award by The Analytical Scientist for its live-cell metabolic analyzer, LiCellMo™. Launched in Japan in September and in select regions, including the US, UK, EU, China, and other Asian countries in October, LiCellMo provides continuous, real-time data on key cellular metabolic pathways. This offers researchers valuable insights into previously unobservable changes in cell state, facilitating more informed research decisions. The device is designed to reveal cellular metabolic mechanisms, enhance the reproducibility of cell cultures, and support the development of manufacturing processes for cell and gene therapy (CGT) products.
The Analytical Scientist recognizes groundbreaking advancements in measurement science with its annual Innovation Awards. These awards highlight technologies that are expected to open new doors for the analytical sciences.
In CGT research, assessing cellular conditions and optimizing the cell culture environment are crucial. LiCellMo allows researchers to monitor metabolic changes in real time, offering a more comprehensive view of cellular activity for CGT applications. Unlike traditional methods, which rely on periodic sampling of culture media (a process that risks contamination and limits the ability to observe ongoing changes), LiCellMo provides minute-by-minute measurements of glucose and lactate levels in the culture medium. Additionally, it can be easily integrated into existing laboratory CO2-compatible incubators without disrupting the standard culture environment, offering a flexible solution to the limitations of conventional cell culture methods.
PHC Corporation is a subsidiary of PHC Holdings Corporation (TOKYO: 6523), part of a global healthcare group known as PHC Group. The continuous monitoring technology in LiCellMo is based on proprietary sensor technology developed by PHC’s In Vitro Diagnostics (IVD) Division.
Chikara Takauo, Director of PHC Corporation and Head of the Biomedical Division, commented, “We believe LiCellMo will offer researchers groundbreaking insights into cellular metabolism, especially in cancer immunology and stem cell research. This award recognizes LiCellMo’s immediate impact on research and its potential to drive the development of future therapies.”
About PHC Corporation’s Biomedical Division
PHC Corporation, founded in 1969, is a subsidiary of PHC Holdings Corporation, an international healthcare company. The Biomedical Division provides support to the life sciences industry globally, offering laboratory equipment and services, including CO2 incubators and ultra-low temperature freezers, under the PHCbi brand.
About PHC Holdings Corporation (PHC Group)
PHC Holdings Corporation is an international healthcare company that develops solutions to improve people’s lives. Its subsidiaries, known as the PHC Group, include PHC Corporation and other companies focused on diabetes care, healthcare solutions, and diagnostics.
