Two-Dimensional Cytometry Platform for Single-Particle/Cell Analysis with Laser-Induced Fluorescence and ICP-MS

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Biotechnology
• Cell Biology

Background:

• Current single-particle and single-cell analysis methods often lack high sensitivity and temporal resolution.
• There is a need for integrated platforms capable of multi-dimensional and multi-parameter characterization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a two-dimensional cytometry platform (CytoLM) for high-throughput, high-sensitivity single-particle and single-cell analysis.
• To integrate vortex capillary cell sampling (VCCS) with laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) for comprehensive analysis.

Main Methods:

• Development of a Dean flow-assisted vortex capillary cell sampling (VCCS) unit for particle/cell focusing and alignment.
• Coupling VCCS with a laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) detector to establish a high-throughput single-particle/cell analysis system (VCCS-LIF).
• Hyphenation of VCCS-LIF with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) to create the CytoLM platform for multi-parameter analysis.

Main Results:

• The VCCS-LIF system achieved particle analysis throughput of 119.42/s and cell analysis throughput of 48.20/s.
• The CytoLM platform demonstrated effective signal proportions of >96.20% in analyzing HepG2 cells, providing concurrent statistical results.
• Elemental quantification and concentration information of single cells were successfully evaluated using the CytoLM platform.

Conclusions:

• The developed CytoLM platform offers high-throughput, multi-dimensional, and multi-parameter characterization of particles and cells.
• This platform shows significant potential for advancing analyses in various life science applications.
• The integration of VCCS, LIF, and ICP-MS provides a powerful tool for detailed single-cell analysis.