Microfluidics for single-cell genetic analysis

Abstract

The ability to correlate single-cell genetic information to cellular phenotypes will provide the kind of detailed insight into human physiology and disease pathways that is not possible to infer from bulk cell analysis. Microfluidic technologies are attractive for single-cell manipulation due to precise handling and low risk of contamination. Additionally, microfluidic single-cell techniques can allow for high-throughput and detailed genetic analyses that increase accuracy and decreases reagent cost compared to bulk techniques. Incorporating these microfluidic platforms into research and clinical laboratory workflows can fill an unmet need in biology, delivering the highly accurate, highly informative data necessary to develop new therapies and monitor patient outcomes. In this perspective, we describe the current and potential future uses of microfluidics at all stages of single-cell genetic analysis, including cell enrichment and capture, single-cell compartmentalization and manipulation, and detection and analyses.

Microfluidic Sample Preparation for Single Cell Analysis

“…38, 225–230 In the next sections, recent experiments regarding on chip single cell analysis for genome, transcriptome, and proteome analysis are reviewed, particularly highlighting approaches for high throughput, multiplex analysis.…”

Translating microfluidics: Cell separation technologies and their barriers to commercialization

“…Microfluidic devices are significantly smaller than their forerunners, fluorescence‐assisted cell sorting (FACS) and magnetic‐assisted cell sorting (MACS) devices , yet they provide equal and sometimes enhanced cell processing capabilities . Microfluidic devices exploit a remarkable variety of means to sort cells, as we outline in a recent technical review , and can provide capabilities to isolate cells into individual wells , inspect cells with lasers for high‐precision cytometry , mix liquids (e.g., for studying dose responses to drugs) , count cells , size cells and lyse cells [e.g., for DNA sequencing ] in a holistic “lab on a chip” format .…”

“…essing capabilities (1). Microfluidic devices exploit a remarkable variety of means to sort cells, as we outline in a recent technical review (6), and can provide capabilities to isolate cells into individual wells (7,8), inspect cells with lasers for high-precision cytometry (9), mix liquids (e.g., for studying dose responses to drugs) (10), count cells (11), size cells (12) and lyse cells (13) [e.g., for DNA sequencing (14)] in a holistic "lab on a chip" format (15,16).…”

Machine-assisted cultivation and analysis of biofilms

“…The automated conduction of solid-phase reactions aided by fluid handling used therein has already led to impressive advances in chemical synthesis programms [1][2][3][4] and the manufacturing of pharmaceutical compounds 5,6 . These developments are complemented by current advances in the design of microfluidic lab-on-achip systems for applications in the life sciences, which include fundamental studies of cellular processes, biomedical diagnostics or drug discovery [7][8][9][10] . Biofilms are the natural form of life of the majority of microorganisms.…”