The Evolution of Cell Separation and Enrichment: From Centrifugation to Levitation

The ability to isolate, purify, and enrich specific cell populations has transformed biological research, clinical diagnostics, and therapeutic development. Over the centuries, cell separation methods have evolved from rudimentary techniques to sophisticated, high-throughput systems that enable researchers to extract rare and valuable cell populations with unprecedented precision. Early Foundations: The Dawn of Cell Science The journey of cell separation began in the 17th century, when Robert Hooke (1665) and Antonie van Leeuwenhoek (1674) first described cells using early microscopes.