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Jeong H, Porello EAL, Rosario JG, Kuang D, Han SH, Sul JY, Lim B, Lee D, Kim J. SCO-pH: Microfluidic dynamic phenotyping platform for high-throughput screening of single cell acidification. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.08.593179. [PMID: 38766224 PMCID: PMC11100697 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.08.593179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
Studies on the dynamics of single cell phenotyping have been hampered by the lack of quantitative high-throughput metabolism assays. Extracellular acidification, a prominent phenotype, yields significant insights into cellular metabolism, including tumorigenicity. Here, we develop a versatile microfluidic system for single cell optical pH analysis (SCO-pH), which compartmentalizes single cells in 140-pL droplets and immobilizes approximately 40,000 droplets in a two-dimensional array for temporal extracellular pH analysis. SCO-pH distinguishes cells undergoing hyperglycolysis induced by oligomycin A from untreated cells by monitoring their extracellular acidification. To facilitate pH sensing in each droplet, we encapsulate a cell-impermeable pH probe whose fluorescence intensities are quantified. Using this approach, we can differentiate hyperglycolytic cells and concurrently observe single cell heterogeneity in extracellular acidification dynamics. This high-throughput system will be useful in applications that require dynamic phenotyping of single cells with significant heterogeneity.
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Wang H, Liu Z, Ma X. Learning Consistency and Specificity of Cells From Single-Cell Multi-Omic Data. IEEE J Biomed Health Inform 2024; 28:3134-3145. [PMID: 38709615 DOI: 10.1109/jbhi.2024.3370868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
Advancements in single-cell technologies concomitantly develop the epigenomic and transcriptomic profiles at the cell levels, providing opportunities to explore the potential biological mechanisms. Even though significant efforts have been dedicated to them, it remains challenging for the integration analysis of multi-omic data of single-cell because of the heterogeneity, complicated coupling and interpretability of data. To handle these issues, we propose a novel self-representation Learning-based Multi-omics data Integrative Clustering algorithm (sLMIC) for the integration of single-cell epigenomic profiles (DNA methylation or scATAC-seq) and transcriptomic (scRNA-seq), which the consistent and specific features of cells are explicitly extracted facilitating the cell clustering. Specifically, sLMIC constructs a graph for each type of single-cell data, thereby transforming omics data into multi-layer networks, which effectively removes heterogeneity of omic data. Then, sLMIC employs the low-rank and exclusivity constraints to separate the self-representation of cells into two parts, i.e., the shared and specific features, which explicitly characterize the consistency and diversity of omic data, providing an effective strategy to model the structure of cell types. Feature extraction and cell clustering are jointly formulated as an overall objective function, where latent features of data are obtained under the guidance of cell clustering. The extensive experimental results on 13 multi-omics datasets of single-cell from diverse organisms and tissues indicate that sLMIC observably exceeds the advanced algorithms regarding various measurements.
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Nan L, Zhang H, Weitz DA, Shum HC. Development and future of droplet microfluidics. LAB ON A CHIP 2024; 24:1135-1153. [PMID: 38165829 DOI: 10.1039/d3lc00729d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2024]
Abstract
Over the past two decades, advances in droplet-based microfluidics have facilitated new approaches to process and analyze samples with unprecedented levels of precision and throughput. A wide variety of applications has been inspired across multiple disciplines ranging from materials science to biology. Understanding the dynamics of droplets enables optimization of microfluidic operations and design of new techniques tailored to emerging demands. In this review, we discuss the underlying physics behind high-throughput generation and manipulation of droplets. We also summarize the applications in droplet-derived materials and droplet-based lab-on-a-chip biotechnology. In addition, we offer perspectives on future directions to realize wider use of droplet microfluidics in industrial production and biomedical analyses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lang Nan
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, China.
- Advanced Biomedical Instrumentation Centre, Hong Kong Science Park, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong, China
| | - Huidan Zhang
- John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - David A Weitz
- John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
- Advanced Biomedical Instrumentation Centre, Hong Kong Science Park, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong, China
| | - Ho Cheung Shum
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, China.
- Advanced Biomedical Instrumentation Centre, Hong Kong Science Park, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong, China
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Cheng G, Kuan CY, Lou KW, Ho YP. Light-Responsive Materials in Droplet Manipulation for Biochemical Applications. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2024:e2313935. [PMID: 38379512 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202313935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2023] [Revised: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024]
Abstract
Miniaturized droplets, characterized by well-controlled microenvironments and capability for parallel processing, have significantly advanced the studies on enzymatic evolution, molecular diagnostics, and single-cell analysis. However, manipulation of small-sized droplets, including moving, merging, and trapping of the targeted droplets for complex biochemical assays and subsequent analysis, is not trivial and remains technically demanding. Among various techniques, light-driven methods stand out as a promising candidate for droplet manipulation in a facile and flexible manner, given the features of contactless interaction, high spatiotemporal resolution, and biocompatibility. This review therefore compiles an in-depth discussion of the governing mechanisms underpinning light-driven droplet manipulation. Besides, light-responsive materials, representing the core of light-matter interaction and the key character converting light into different forms of energy, are particularly assessed in this review. Recent advancements in light-responsive materials and the most notable applications are comprehensively archived and evaluated. Continuous innovations and rational engineering of light-responsive materials are expected to propel the development of light-driven droplet manipulation, equip droplets with enhanced functionality, and broaden the applications of droplets for biochemical studies and routine biochemical investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guangyao Cheng
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, China
| | - Chit Yau Kuan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, China
| | - Kuan Wen Lou
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, China
| | - Yi-Ping Ho
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, China
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, China
- Centre for Novel Biomaterials, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, China
- Hong Kong Branch of CAS Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, China
- The Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Regeneration Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, 999077, China
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Diao Z, Wang X, Zhang J, Ge A, Xu T, Kan L, Li Y, Ji Y, Jing X, Xu J, Ma B. Optical-based microbubble for on-demand droplet release from static droplet array (SDA) for dispensing one droplet into one tube. Biosens Bioelectron 2023; 240:115639. [PMID: 37660461 DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2023.115639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Revised: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023]
Abstract
Static droplet array (SDA) is a pivotal tool for high-capacity screening assays, yet extraction and collection the target droplets that contain unique analytes or cells from the SDA remains one major technical bottleneck that limits its broader application. Here we present an optical-based on-demand droplet release (OODR) system by incorporating a 1064 nm laser-responsive indium tin oxide (ITO) layer into a chamber array-based droplet microfluidic chip. By focusing the 1064 nm laser onto the ITO layer, microbubbles can be created via local heating to selectively push-out the droplets from the chamber. Then the released droplet is readily exported in a one-droplet-one-tube (ODOT) manner by the inherent capillary force into pipette tip. Releasing of the droplets containing fluorescein sodium demonstrated ∼100% successful rate (9 out of 6400 droplets were successfully released) and low residual (only ∼5% of the droplet volume remains in the chamber). White or fluorescence image-based releasing of single-cell-droplets directly after cell loading or multi-cells-droplets derived from on-chip single-cell cultivation for both E. coli and yeast cells further demonstrated the wide applicability of OODR. The present system is user-friendly and has the potential to be applied in various high-throughput screening assays, including single molecule/cell analysis, drug screening, and phenotype-based cell sorting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhidian Diao
- Single-Cell Center, CAS Key Laboratory of Biofuels, Shandong Key Laboratory of Energy Genetics, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, Shandong, 266101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China; Shandong Energy Institute, Qingdao, China; Qingdao New Energy Shandong Laboratory, Qingdao, China
| | - Xixian Wang
- Single-Cell Center, CAS Key Laboratory of Biofuels, Shandong Key Laboratory of Energy Genetics, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, Shandong, 266101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China; Shandong Energy Institute, Qingdao, China; Qingdao New Energy Shandong Laboratory, Qingdao, China
| | - Jiaping Zhang
- Single-Cell Center, CAS Key Laboratory of Biofuels, Shandong Key Laboratory of Energy Genetics, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, Shandong, 266101, China; Shandong Energy Institute, Qingdao, China; Qingdao New Energy Shandong Laboratory, Qingdao, China
| | - Anle Ge
- Single-Cell Center, CAS Key Laboratory of Biofuels, Shandong Key Laboratory of Energy Genetics, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, Shandong, 266101, China; Shandong Energy Institute, Qingdao, China; Qingdao New Energy Shandong Laboratory, Qingdao, China
| | - Teng Xu
- Single-Cell Center, CAS Key Laboratory of Biofuels, Shandong Key Laboratory of Energy Genetics, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, Shandong, 266101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China; Shandong Energy Institute, Qingdao, China; Qingdao New Energy Shandong Laboratory, Qingdao, China
| | - Lingyan Kan
- Single-Cell Center, CAS Key Laboratory of Biofuels, Shandong Key Laboratory of Energy Genetics, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, Shandong, 266101, China; Shandong Energy Institute, Qingdao, China; Qingdao New Energy Shandong Laboratory, Qingdao, China
| | - Yuandong Li
- Single-Cell Center, CAS Key Laboratory of Biofuels, Shandong Key Laboratory of Energy Genetics, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, Shandong, 266101, China; Shandong Energy Institute, Qingdao, China; Qingdao New Energy Shandong Laboratory, Qingdao, China
| | - Yuetong Ji
- Single-Cell Center, CAS Key Laboratory of Biofuels, Shandong Key Laboratory of Energy Genetics, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, Shandong, 266101, China; Qingdao Single-Cell Biotech., Co., Ltd., Qingdao, China
| | - Xiaoyan Jing
- Single-Cell Center, CAS Key Laboratory of Biofuels, Shandong Key Laboratory of Energy Genetics, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, Shandong, 266101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China; Shandong Energy Institute, Qingdao, China; Qingdao New Energy Shandong Laboratory, Qingdao, China
| | - Jian Xu
- Single-Cell Center, CAS Key Laboratory of Biofuels, Shandong Key Laboratory of Energy Genetics, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, Shandong, 266101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China; Shandong Energy Institute, Qingdao, China; Qingdao New Energy Shandong Laboratory, Qingdao, China.
| | - Bo Ma
- Single-Cell Center, CAS Key Laboratory of Biofuels, Shandong Key Laboratory of Energy Genetics, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, Shandong, 266101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China; Shandong Energy Institute, Qingdao, China; Qingdao New Energy Shandong Laboratory, Qingdao, China.
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Kim JH, Rosenfeld J, Kim YC, Choe S, Composto RJ, Lee D, Dreyfus R. Polymer-Grafted, Gold Nanoparticle-Based Nano-Capsules as Reversible Colorimetric Tensile Strain Sensors. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2023; 19:e2300361. [PMID: 37140078 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202300361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Revised: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Colloidal colorimetric microsensors enable the in-situ detection of mechanical strains within materials. Enhancing the sensitivity of these sensors to small scale deformation while enabling reversibility of the sensing capability would expand their utility in applications including biosensing and chemical sensing. In this study, we introduce the synthesis of colloidal colorimetric nano-sensors using a simple and readily scalable fabrication method. Colloidal nano sensors are prepared by emulsion-templated assembly of polymer-grafted gold nanoparticles (AuNP). To direct the adsorption of AuNP to the oil-water interface of emulsion droplets, AuNP (≈11nm) are functionalized with thiol-terminated polystyrene (PS, Mn = 11k). These PS-grafted gold nanoparticles are suspended in toluene and subsequently emulsified to form droplets with a diameter of ≈30µm. By evaporating the solvent of the oil-inwater emulsion, we form nanocapsules (AuNC) (diameter < 1µm) decorated by PS-grafted AuNP. To test mechanical sensing, the AuNC are embedded in an elastomer matrix. The addition of a plasticizer reduces the glass transition temperature of the PS brushes, and in turn imparts reversible deformability to the AuNC. The plasmonic peak of the AuNC shifts towards lower wavelengths upon application of uniaxial tensile tension, indicating increased inter-nanoparticle distance, and reverts back as the tension is released.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jae-Hyun Kim
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104, USA
| | - Joseph Rosenfeld
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104, USA
| | - Ye Chan Kim
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104, USA
| | - Sean Choe
- Complex Assemblies of Soft Matter Laboratory (COMPASS), UMI 3254, CNRS-Solvay-University of Pennsylvania, CRTB, Bristol, PA, 19007, USA
| | - Russell J Composto
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104, USA
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104, USA
| | - Daeyeon Lee
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104, USA
| | - Rémi Dreyfus
- Complex Assemblies of Soft Matter Laboratory (COMPASS), UMI 3254, CNRS-Solvay-University of Pennsylvania, CRTB, Bristol, PA, 19007, USA
- Laboratoire Nanotechnologies Nanosystemes (LN2), CNRS - Université de Sherbrooke, Quebec, J1K 0A5, Canada
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7
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Cheng G, Xiao Q, Kuan CY, Ho YP. On-demand light-driven release of droplets stabilized via a photoresponsive fluorosurfactant. MICROSYSTEMS & NANOENGINEERING 2023; 9:89. [PMID: 37448968 PMCID: PMC10336138 DOI: 10.1038/s41378-023-00567-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2022] [Accepted: 06/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
Water-in-oil droplets have emerged as promising microreactors for high-throughput biochemical analysis due to their features of reduced sample consumption and automated operation. For a typical screening application, droplets are often trapped for continuous monitoring of the reaction over an extended period, followed by the selective retrieval of targeted droplets based on the after-effect of biochemical reactions. While techniques for droplet trapping are well developed, retrieval of targeted droplets mainly demands complicated device fabrication or sophisticated control. Herein, facile and rapid selective droplet release is achieved by utilizing a new class of photoresponsive fluorosurfactant based on plasmonic nanoparticles. The intense photothermal response provided by this novel photoresponsive fluorosurfactant is capable of vaporizing the fluorocarbon oil at the droplet interface under laser illumination, resulting in a bubble releasing a trapped droplet on demand. A fully automated fluorescence-activated droplet release platform has also been developed to demonstrate its potential for droplet-based large-scale screening applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guangyao Cheng
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Qinru Xiao
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Chit Yau Kuan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Yi-Ping Ho
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Centre for Novel Biomaterials, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Hong Kong Branch of CAS Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, 999077 China
- The Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Regeneration Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
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8
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Miao Z, Humphreys BD, McMahon AP, Kim J. Multi-omics integration in the age of million single-cell data. Nat Rev Nephrol 2021; 17:710-724. [PMID: 34417589 PMCID: PMC9191639 DOI: 10.1038/s41581-021-00463-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/25/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
An explosion in single-cell technologies has revealed a previously underappreciated heterogeneity of cell types and novel cell-state associations with sex, disease, development and other processes. Starting with transcriptome analyses, single-cell techniques have extended to multi-omics approaches and now enable the simultaneous measurement of data modalities and spatial cellular context. Data are now available for millions of cells, for whole-genome measurements and for multiple modalities. Although analyses of such multimodal datasets have the potential to provide new insights into biological processes that cannot be inferred with a single mode of assay, the integration of very large, complex, multimodal data into biological models and mechanisms represents a considerable challenge. An understanding of the principles of data integration and visualization methods is required to determine what methods are best applied to a particular single-cell dataset. Each class of method has advantages and pitfalls in terms of its ability to achieve various biological goals, including cell-type classification, regulatory network modelling and biological process inference. In choosing a data integration strategy, consideration must be given to whether the multi-omics data are matched (that is, measured on the same cell) or unmatched (that is, measured on different cells) and, more importantly, the overall modelling and visualization goals of the integrated analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhen Miao
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Graduate Group in Genomics and Computational Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Benjamin D Humphreys
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Andrew P McMahon
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Junhyong Kim
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
- Graduate Group in Genomics and Computational Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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Method for Passive Droplet Sorting after Photo-Tagging. MICROMACHINES 2020; 11:mi11110964. [PMID: 33126559 PMCID: PMC7692103 DOI: 10.3390/mi11110964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2020] [Revised: 10/22/2020] [Accepted: 10/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
We present a method to photo-tag individual microfluidic droplets for latter selection by passive sorting. The use of a specific surfactant leads to the interfacial tension to be very sensitive to droplet pH. The photoexcitation of droplets containing a photoacid, pyranine, leads to a decrease in droplet pH. The concurrent increase in droplet interfacial tension enables the passive selection of irradiated droplets. The technique is used to select individual droplets within a droplet array as illuminated droplets remain in the wells while other droplets are eluted by the flow of the external oil. This method was used to select droplets in an array containing cells at a specific stage of apoptosis. The technique is also adaptable to continuous-flow sorting. By passing confined droplets over a microfabricated trench positioned diagonally in relation to the direction of flow, photo-tagged droplets were directed toward a different chip exit based on their lateral movement. The technique can be performed on a conventional fluorescence microscope and uncouples the observation and selection of droplets, thus enabling the selection on a large variety of signals, or based on qualitative user-defined features.
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Han SH, Kim J, Lee D. Static array of droplets and on-demand recovery for biological assays. BIOMICROFLUIDICS 2020; 14:051302. [PMID: 32952764 PMCID: PMC7494362 DOI: 10.1063/5.0022383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2020] [Accepted: 08/24/2020] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Microfluidics has revolutionized several research areas by providing compact yet powerful microanalytical devices that in many cases outperform conventional systems. Among different microfluidics technologies, droplet microfluidics has emerged as a powerful platform to enable analyses of biological samples and phenomena because of its simplicity and versatility. Droplet microfluidics enables high-throughput encapsulation, manipulation, and analysis of single cells while drastically reducing the cost and time required by conventional technologies. For many of these microanalysis systems, manipulation of individual droplets is extremely important as it enables multiplexed high dimensional phenotyping of the targets, going beyond surface phenotyping. One of the key manipulation steps that needs to be implemented with high precision is enabling long-term observation of droplets and recovery of a subset of these droplets for further analysis. This Perspective highlights the recent advances and provides an outlook on future developments that will enable highly complex analyses of biological samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Syung Hun Han
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA
| | - Junhyong Kim
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA
| | - Daeyeon Lee
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA
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