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Microfluidic single-cell technology in immunology and antibody screening
Yu Fen Samantha Seah1, Hongxing Hu1, Christoph A Merten1
1European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Genome Biology Unit, Meyerhofstrasse 1, Heidelberg, Germany.
Molecular Aspects of Medicine
|September 21, 2017
Summary
Microfluidic technologies are revolutionizing immunology by enabling detailed analysis of immune cells. This review highlights key microfluidic systems for advancing immune cell research and drug discovery.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Biotechnology
- Microfluidics
Background:
- Single-cell technology significantly impacts immunology research.
- Microfluidic approaches have greatly advanced single-cell analysis over the past decade.
- Key areas include immune signaling, cell migration, antibody screening, and repertoire analysis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review powerful microfluidic systems for immunology.
- To analyze their benefits in phenotypic characterization, drug discovery, and next-generation sequencing.
- To discuss current limitations and future applications.
Main Methods:
- Summary of microfluidic systems: continuous flow, nanowells, valves, and droplets.
- Analysis of applications in immunology.
- Review of advancements in single-cell analysis.
Main Results:
- Microfluidics enables elucidation of immune signaling kinetics and cell migration.
- Facilitates high-throughput antibody screening and B-/T-cell repertoire analysis.
- Demonstrates benefits for phenotypic characterization and drug discovery.
Conclusions:
- Microfluidic systems are crucial tools in modern immunology.
- These technologies offer significant advantages for various research and discovery applications.
- Future applications hold promise for further breakthroughs in immune research.
