Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 10, 2026
15:41
A Microfluidic Chip for the Versatile Chemical Analysis of Single Cells
Published on: October 15, 2013
Chemical analysis of single cells
Laura M Borland1, Sumith Kottegoda, K Scott Phillips
1Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 27599, USA.
Summary
Microelectrophoretic separations enable sensitive chemical analysis of single cells. These techniques, including microfluidics, allow quantification of diverse intracellular molecules and cellular processes.
Area of Science:
- Analytical Chemistry
- Cell Biology
- Biotechnology
Background:
- Single-cell chemical analysis demands high sensitivity and selectivity for minute sample volumes.
- Traditional methods struggle with the scale and complexity of intracellular analyte detection.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review microelectrophoretic separation techniques for single-cell chemical analysis.
- To highlight their application in quantifying diverse intracellular molecules and cellular processes.
Main Methods:
- Microelectrophoretic separations (capillary electrophoresis, microfluidics).
- Coupling separation techniques with detection methods (absorbance, fluorescence, electrochemical, mass spectrometry).
Main Results:
- Quantification of numerous analytes (amino acids, neurotransmitters, proteins, organelles) in single cells.
- Examination of various intracellular processes using microseparation techniques.
Conclusions:
- Microelectrophoresis is a powerful tool for single-cell chemical analysis.
- Microfluidics offers integrated solutions for cellular manipulation, processing, and separation, advancing single-cell cytometry.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:20Overview Of Cell Separation And Isolation
Cell separation was first achieved in 1964 by S. H. Seal, who separated large tumor cells from the smaller blood cells using filtration. Two years later, Pohl and Hawk performed experiments on how cells respond differently to a nonuniform electric field based on the cell type. Such observations were the inception of cell separation methods, which allow isolating a single cell type from a heterogeneous sample.
01:32Subcellular Fractionation
The homogenate obtained after cell lysis contains various membrane-bound organelles that can be further separated into pure fractions by subcellular fractionation. These isolates are used to study specific cellular components, analyze localized protein activity, and are even employed in diagnostics. Fractionation is typically achieved using centrifugation methods, the most common being density-gradient and differential centrifugation.
Differential Centrifugation
Differential centrifugation is...
Differential Centrifugation
Differential centrifugation is...