Highlights of the research

• The research team, which included participation by Spiber, developed a novel method called CloneSelect, which enables the isolation of cells with specific fates from heterogeneous cell populations.
  
  
• Traditional methods require the destruction of cells during analysis, making it difficult to track the same cell over time. CloneSelect overcomes this by assigning unique DNA barcodes to each cell, allowing some to be preserved and others used in experiments. This makes it possible to retrospectively identify and isolate cells that later exhibit specific traits.
  
  
• The method is expected to contribute to a wide range of fields, including stem cell biology, regenerative medicine, and evolutionary biology.
  
  

A research group led by Professor Nozomu Yachie (Visiting Professor at the University of Tokyo’s Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, Professor at Osaka University’s WPI-PRIMe, and Professor at the University of British Columbia’s Department of Biomedical Engineering), Dr. Soh Ishiguro (Postdoctoral Fellow, UBC), Rina Sakata (Master’s student at the time), Professor Yasuhiro Takashima (Kyoto University, CiRA), and Kana Ishida (Researcher at Spiber Inc.) has successfully developed the CloneSelect method. This technique enables the high-precision isolation of specific clones from the cell populations of a variety of organisms, including humans, mice, budding yeast, and E. coli.

The concept enabled by CloneSelect—“Retrospective Biology”—introduces a novel approach to biological analysis by allowing researchers to trace and isolate cells based on their future behavior. This technology is expected to be applicable across a wide spectrum of fields, including developmental biology, synthetic biology, and beyond.

The research results were published online in the journal Nature Biotechnology on May 21, 2025 (JST).

This study goes beyond the realm of traditional cell engineering and contributes to greater design precision, reproducibility, and efficiency in gene synthesis for material development. We believe it is a significant step in strengthening the technological foundation of not only our fiber business but also potential new domains. Moving forward, we will continue to pursue the development of innovative technologies and materials that contribute to the realization of a circular and sustainable society. Learn more here.