Bracco Imaging and Limula launched an industry‑academia project with Prof. Nicola Vannini (University of Fribourg) funded by Innosuisse to develop a bead‑free, automated cell selection and activation platform for cell and gene therapy manufacturing. The collaboration combines Bracco’s lipid‑based microbubble selection chemistry with Limula’s automated processing instrumentation to exploit buoyancy‑based separation instead of magnetic beads. Project leaders said buoyancy‑based selection could reduce consumables cost, simplify workflows, and preserve cell fitness—addressing bottlenecks in scalability and affordability. The R&D effort aims to produce a manufacturable, validated alternative for T‑cell and other cell therapy capture steps and accelerate clinical supply capabilities for emerging programs. Clarification: Microbubble selection binds target cells to gas‑filled microbubbles, enabling separation by buoyancy rather than magnetic capture.