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Updated: Jun 19, 2026

Single-cell Microfluidic Analysis of Bacillus subtilis

Single-cell Microfluidic Analysis of Bacillus subtilis

Published on: January 26, 2018

Tracking lineages of single cells in lines using a microfluidic device.

Amy C Rowat¹, James C Bird, Jeremy J Agresti

¹Department of Physics/School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA. rowat@seas.harvard.edu

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

|October 15, 2009

Summary

Single-cell tracking reveals protein expression varies across cell lineages. This method uncovers protein-specific phenotypic persistence and temporal fluctuations, crucial for understanding cell population dynamics.

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Area of Science:

Cell Biology
Genetics
Biophysics

Background:

Genetically identical cells show phenotypic variation, with protein levels often studied in bulk.
Understanding temporal protein variation and familial dependence at the single-cell level is challenging.

Purpose of the Study:

To develop a method for tracking protein levels and cell genealogy in parallel over time.
To investigate the protein-specific timescales of phenotypic persistence and variation within cell lineages.

Main Methods:

A microfluidic device was engineered to trap and grow single cells in parallel lines for up to 8 divisions.
The expression of three naturally regulated proteins (Hsp12-GFP, Rps8b-GFP) was monitored within these tracked lineages.

Main Results:

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Last Updated: Jun 19, 2026

Single-cell Microfluidic Analysis of Bacillus subtilis

Single-cell Microfluidic Analysis of Bacillus subtilis

Published on: January 26, 2018

Live Imaging Followed by Single Cell Tracking to Monitor Cell Biology and the Lineage Progression of Multiple Neural Populations

Live Imaging Followed by Single Cell Tracking to Monitor Cell Biology and the Lineage Progression of Multiple Neural Populations

Published on: December 16, 2017

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Genealogically related cells within lineages exhibited similar phenotypes, with cluster sizes varying by protein.
Temporal fluctuations in protein levels were observed alongside cell division and pedigree tracking.
Simultaneous expression bursts were noted in mother and daughter cells for Hsp12-GFP, while Rps8b-GFP showed stable expression.

Conclusions:

The developed microfluidic method enables parallel lineage tracking and dynamic protein level monitoring.
Phenotypic persistence timescales are protein-specific, offering insights into cellular memory.
This approach is vital for dissecting single-cell phenotypic variation and inter-cell correlations.