VentureBeat

San Diego’s Cyntellect, a laboratory equipment maker focused on tools that image and manipulate living cells, raised $15.1 million in a fourth funding round. The company’s technology, which it says is based upon principles from the semiconductor industry, uses lasers to capture fluorescent cell images, to eliminate unwanted cell types, and to “optoinject” proteins, peptides and nucleic acids into cells.

The round was led by Third Security and joined by an unidentified existing Cyntellect investor. The investors may commit up to another $8.3 million under the terms of the deal. The company said it will use the money to hire more staff, expand operations and explore new uses for its laser tools.