{
  "abstract": "Microlasers based on whispering-gallery modes (WGMs) provide bright, spectrally narrow emission, making them ideal optical probes for high-resolution cellular tagging, single-cell tracking, and biosensing. To reproducibly apply WGM microlasers in biomedical or tissue-engineering contexts, control over the number of lasers in a cell population is highly desirable. Here we use a commercial instrument for flow cytometry-based cell sorting to obtain HEK293T cell populations with a controlled number of polystyrene laser particles (LPs). By modifying the particle surface with poly(ethyleneimine) (PEI) or lipofectamine, we enhance LP-association to cells. We demonstrate that our sorting procedure yields viable cells showing unchanged proliferation rates. Manufacturer-dependent differences in particle-cell interactions were observed and investigated by scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM/TEM) and flow cytometry. Finally, we show that the same sorting approach enables the generation of multi-cellular spheroids with a defined ratio of LP-containing and LP-free cells. This work lays the foundation for larger tissue engineering studies with defined LP populations and control over LP-placement with respect to the cell.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Institute for Light and Matter, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany"
  ],
  "article_type": "New results",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 10,
  "authors": [
    {
      "name": "M. Koenig"
    },
    {
      "name": "T. T. Plaskocinski"
    },
    {
      "name": "A. Popczyk"
    },
    {
      "name": "V. M. Titze"
    },
    {
      "name": "F. Gaedke"
    },
    {
      "name": "M. Germer"
    },
    {
      "name": "A.-L. Schumacher"
    },
    {
      "name": "A. M. Schmidt"
    },
    {
      "name": "M. Schubert"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "M. C. Gather"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/7daejvq3cf6av.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.64898/2026.10.02.756078",
  "fulltext_url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.10.02.756078v1.full",
  "id": "7daejvq3cf6av",
  "issns": [],
  "landing_url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.10.02.756078v1",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY",
  "licence_label": "CC BY",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "biorxiv",
      "bioengineering"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "2204|Microfluidic and Bio-sensing Technologies"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7220425613",
  "pdf_url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.10.02.756078v1.full.pdf",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-10-02",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/7daejvq3cf6av.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:26:02Z",
      "native_id": "10.64898/2026.10.02.756078",
      "source": "biorxiv",
      "url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.10.02.756078v1"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "biology",
      "origin": "biorxiv:bioengineering",
      "subfield": "systems-synthetic"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Enriching microlaser-labelled cells by commercial flow cytometry-based cell sorting systems",
  "title_text": "Enriching microlaser-labelled cells by commercial flow cytometry-based cell sorting systems",
  "type": "preprint",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:26:02Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/7daejvq3cf6av",
  "venue": "bioRxiv",
  "versions": []
}