Microfluidic Chip Development Service for Single Cell Analysis

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Single Cell Analysis Background Solutions Superiority Q&As Resources

Cells are the basic unit of the structure and function of organisms, their bodies are actively small, and the amount of samples required for testing is also very small. Single-cell analysis can reveal the nature of the basic unit of life. Technological innovations in this field can more effectively diagnose complex diseases, better predict the treatment outcome, and provide greater confidence in the choice of treatment options. Creative Biolabs introduces microfluidic technology into the field of single cell analysis, allowing scientists to research the single cell level, which can greatly promote the discovery and progress of scientific studies.

The Need for Single Cell Analysis

Fig. 2 Microfluidic single-cell analysis. (Jammes, et al., 2020)

Fig. 1 Microfluidic single-cell analysis.¹

Just as there are no two identical leaves in the world, there are no two identical cells in the world. Although the average value of the population is useful, it cannot accurately reflect the phenotype of a single cell, and they sometimes vary greatly. For example, genetic and epigenetic changes accumulated in cells will have a great influence on gene expression levels and protein-protein interactions. This heterogeneity plays an important role in physiological processes such as the occurrence and deterioration of cancer, neuronal networks, embryonic development, and immune response. The single-cell analysis method allows microbiologists to study a limited number of microorganisms that cannot be cultivated. It also allows stem cell researchers to gain a deep understanding of cell programming and differentiation. Workers must sharpen their tools to do their best, so the development and improvement of single-cell analysis tools play a crucial role in this respect.

Microfluidic Chips Fuels the Single Cell Analysis

Development of single cell culture, sorting, manipulation, positioning, separation and monitoring analysis methods are of great significance for disease diagnosis and drug screening. Flow cytometry or fluorescence-activated cell sorting techniques can achieve high-throughput cell sorting, but the damage to delicate primary cell lines is greater. The limited dilution method and clone picking method can reduce the abrasion of cells, but at the expense of yield. The microfluidic technology, which combines high throughput and fine processing of cells, as well as an automated integrated system that can simultaneously detect the secreted proteins, can solve the above problems well.

Microfluidic chip analysis is based on piezoelectric micropump drive, pneumatic micropump drive, centrifugal force drive, etc., among which electroosmotic flow drive is the most widely used drive technology. In the microchannels of chips such as glass, quartz, silicon and plastic, the electric field is used as the driving force, and the multi-components in complex samples are separated and analyzed at high speed by means of the difference in the electromigration or distribution behavior of ions or molecules.

Solutions from Creative Biolabs

Fig. 2 Microfluidic glass chip. (Wlodarczyk, et al., 2019)

Using microfluidic technology, Creative Biolabs has helped customers successfully design and develop a single cell extractor that can achieve in situ and non-destructive extraction of any adherently grown single cells. Not only can it help researchers reveal the relationship between cell adhesion strength and cell activity, but also provide a new sample extraction method for single cell mass spectrometry, single cell electrophoresis, and single cell gene detection. This design contains two parallel microchannel probe-type microfluidic chips, which can control the micro-region fluid in an open environment. Combined with analysis methods such as mass spectrometry, capillary electrophoresis, and liquid chromatography, this microfluidic chip can also realize the analysis of single cells and the study of tissue imaging.

The Superiority of Microfluidic Chip System in Single Cell Analysis:

The channel diameter of the microfluidic chip is usually 10-100 μm, which is compatible with a single cell in size
The microfluidic has a network type 2D or 3D channel, which is very easy to manipulate the target of single cell scale
The microfluidic chip has a flat geometry, making it easier to observe and detect
There are many ways to manipulate cells on the microfluidic chip
The microfluidic chip has a small geometric size and can obtain a large electric field strength with a small voltage

With solid research and development experience in microfluidic technology, Creative Biolabs can provide customs with first-class design and customization services for the development of microfluidic chips which proves to be a strong tool for single cell analysis. If additional help is needed, please directly contact us and consult our technical supports for more details.

References

Jammes, Maerki, et al. " How single-cell immunology is benefiting from microfluidic technologies." Microsyst Nanoeng 6 (2020): 45.
Wlodarczyk, Hand, et al. " Maskless, rapid manufacturing of glass microfluidic devices using a picosecond pulsed laser." Nature Portfolio 9.1 (2019): 20215.

Q&As

Q: How does microfluidic single cell analysis differ from traditional cell analysis?

A: Microfluidic single cell analysis allows for the isolation and study of individual cells, providing detailed insights into cellular diversity and behavior. Traditional methods often analyze bulk cell populations, which can mask important variations and unique characteristics present in individual cells.

Q: What types of cells can be analyzed using microfluidic chips?

A: Microfluidic chips can analyze various cell types, including primary cells, stem cells, cancer cells, and immune cells. The technology is versatile and can be adapted to study cells from different tissues and organisms, making it suitable for a wide range of research applications.

Q: How is data from microfluidic single cell analysis collected and analyzed?

A: Data is collected through various techniques such as fluorescence microscopy, sequencing, and mass spectrometry. Advanced software tools are used to process and analyze the data, providing insights into gene expression, protein levels, and other cellular characteristics at the single-cell level.

Q: How does microfluidic single cell analysis improve our understanding of cellular heterogeneity?

A: Microfluidic single cell analysis allows researchers to study individual cells within a heterogeneous population, revealing unique cellular behaviors, gene expression profiles, and responses to stimuli. This detailed understanding helps uncover the complexity of biological systems and the roles of different cell types in health and disease.

Q: Can microfluidic single cell analysis be integrated with other omics technologies?

A: Yes, microfluidic single cell analysis can be integrated with genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics. This multi-omics approach provides a comprehensive view of cellular function and regulation, enhancing the understanding of complex biological processes and disease mechanisms.