The ability to assess viral load in cells is critical for many life science R&D applications. Viral vectors (lentivirus and adeno-associated viral (AAV)) have a unique ability to deliver genetic payloads to specific cells. They are the most commonly used nucleic acid delivery system used in cell and gene therapy research and development. In addition, viral systems are used for the large-scale production of therapeutic protein products, such as antibodies. In the clinical setting measurement of viral load is not only used to diagnose disease, but to assess how well treatment is working and monitor infection. Existing methods to detect and measure viral load are time and labor intensive. We show that VisionSort can be used to provide a label-free assessment of viral load in human cells with potential applications in a variety of biopharmaceutical workflows.
