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Scaling by shrinking: empowering single-cell 'omics' with microfluidic devices.
Sanjay M Prakadan1,2,3, Alex K Shalek1,2,3, David A Weitz4,5
1Institute for Medical Engineering &Science (IMES) and Department of Chemistry, MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA.
Nature Reviews. Genetics
|April 11, 2017
Summary
Microfluidic technologies enable extensive profiling of individual cells, revealing significant cellular heterogeneity. These platforms offer cost-effective and consistent methods for advancing single-cell
Area of Science:
- Cellular and Molecular Biology
- Biotechnology
- Bioengineering
Background:
- Recent advances reveal significant heterogeneity in cellular behavior, challenging traditional concepts of cell type and state.
- This heterogeneity necessitates advanced methods for characterizing cellular diversity, interrelationships, and plasticity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review state-of-the-art microfluidic methodologies for mammalian single-cell 'omics'.
- To discuss the role of microfluidics in addressing challenges and exploring future opportunities in single-cell analysis.
Main Methods:
- Review of microfluidic platforms including valve-, droplet-, and nanowell-based systems.
- Focus on applications in single-cell 'omics' for mammalian cells.
- Comparison with conventional plate-based methods.
Main Results:
- Microfluidic structures facilitate efficient capture and processing of single cells and their components.
- These methods reduce labor and costs while improving consistency compared to traditional approaches.
- Microfluidics are crucial for enabling extensive and controllable profiling of individual cells.
Conclusions:
- Microfluidics are pivotal for deep characterization of cellular heterogeneity and plasticity.
- Future opportunities lie in further developing and applying microfluidic technologies for single-cell 'omics'.