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Microfluidic devices provide various processing steps for single-cell analysis. As one of the well-recognized experts who are professional in applying advanced microfluidic chip technologies for a broad range of project objectives, Creative Biolabs provides novel microfluidic chip development services for different purposes, especially intracellular component analysis.

Microfluidic Chips for Intracellular Component Analysis

In recent decades, microfluidic devices have been widely used in a variety of research fields, such as the bioanalytical community, proteomics, and genomics. The design and construction of microfluidic devices relate to several disciplines, including physics, chemistry, biology, and microengineering. There are two well-established technologies for microfluidic single-cell analysis devices, which are standard procedures for microfabrication in glass and poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS)-based single-cell analytical tools. These transparent devices are especially favorable for fluorescence-based detection.

Fig.1 A photograph of integrated microsystem. (Kwapiszewski, 2011)

In general, there are both destructive and non-destructive single-cell separation and analysis methods. The destructive methods are based on separation by capillary electrophoresis (CE) after single-cell lysis. The sensitive laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) detector is a highly sensitive standard technique for microfluidic single-cell analysis. The intracellular component analysis always includes dyes/metabolites, DNA, RNA, proteins, and amino acids. In contrast, the non-destructive methods require specific labeling of the respective compound as the intracellular components are not naturally fluorescent. And electroporation is the major method to transfer compounds into single cells efficiently. Compared with destructive methods, the non-destructive methods avoid the loss of temporal information as the single cell cannot be subjected to different subsequent stimuli. With the further improved techniques for microfluidic analysis and detection, the microfluidic single-cell analysis can be extended to solve multiple other biological problems and have a profound impact on further biological disciplines dealing with complex cell samples.

Fig.2 Generic workflow for single-cell analysis on a microfluidic platform. (Chao, 2008)

Advantages of PDMS for Intracellular Component Analysis

• Characterizations of chemical inertness, non-cytotoxicity, and biocompatibility.
• The transparency of PDMS enables microscope observation of the cell lysis process.
• Low risk of clogging microchannels due to hydrophobicity.
• It is gas permeable and can be used in standard (bio-)analytical laboratories.
• Contains the integration of various processing steps for single-cell analysis.

With years of experience, our scientists have developed various microfluidic chips with the highest quality standards for different purposes. We can also offer custom solutions in case our standard chips do not meet your requirements. If you are interested in our services, please do not hesitate to contact us for more detailed information.

References

1. Kwapiszewski, R.; et al. A microfluidic device with fluorimetric detection for intracellular components analysis. Biomedical microdevices. 2011, 13(3): 431-440.
2. Chao, T.C.; Ros, A.; Microfluidic single-cell analysis of intracellular compounds. Journal of the Royal Society Interface. 2008, 5(suppl_2): S139-S150.

For Research Use Only. Not For Clinical Use.