Biosensors (Jan 2022)

Microfluidic Compartmentalization Platforms for Single Cell Analysis

  • Xuhao Luo,
  • Jui-Yi Chen,
  • Marzieh Ataei,
  • Abraham Lee

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/bios12020058
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 12, no. 2
p. 58

Abstract

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Many cellular analytical technologies measure only the average response from a cell population with an assumption that a clonal population is homogenous. The ensemble measurement often masks the difference among individual cells that can lead to misinterpretation. The advent of microfluidic technology has revolutionized single-cell analysis through precise manipulation of liquid and compartmentalizing single cells in small volumes (pico- to nano-liter). Due to its advantages from miniaturization, microfluidic systems offer an array of capabilities to study genomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics of a large number of individual cells. In this regard, microfluidic systems have emerged as a powerful technology to uncover cellular heterogeneity and expand the depth and breadth of single-cell analysis. This review will focus on recent developments of three microfluidic compartmentalization platforms (microvalve, microwell, and microdroplets) that target single-cell analysis spanning from proteomics to genomics. We also compare and contrast these three microfluidic platforms and discuss their respective advantages and disadvantages in single-cell analysis.

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