Researchers at Indiana University’s Luddy School are pairing AI with a lab‑on‑a‑chip technique called acoustofluidics, which uses sound waves to move cells and fluids without any physical contact. The “acoustic tweezers” are label‑free, biocompatible, and avoid the contamination risks of traditional pipetting, making them ideal for delicate biological work.
By feeding the system real‑time AI, the team can watch experiments unfold and instantly adjust parameters—something a human would need to pause and evaluate. This speed opens doors for rapid protein analysis, high‑throughput drug‑compound screening, and personalized‑medicine workflows where treatments are tailored to an individual’s unique biology.
The project, led by associate professor Feng Guo, recently secured a $1.5 million NIH grant. Guo’s lab envisions practical spin‑offs: fast assays for immune‑cell interactions in tumors, acoustic patches for precise transdermal dosing, and even neuron‑ or muscle‑activation via sound fields. The work also feeds into larger collaborations, such as a $16.5 million Alzheimer’s study and a $2 million NSF brain‑organoid project, both integrating AI‑driven acoustofluidics.
Ultimately, the fusion of AI and sound‑based micro‑labs promises to slash discovery timelines, cut costs, and move promising therapies from bench to bedside far more quickly than today’s manual methods.
