Sampling techniques for single-cell electrophoresis

摘要: Cells are extraordinarily complex, containing thousands of different analytes with concentrations spanning at least nine orders magnitude. Analyzing single cells instead tissue homogenates provides unique insights into cell-to-cell heterogeneity and aids in distinguishing normal from pathological ones. The high sensitivity low sample consumption capillary on-chip electrophoresis, when integrated fluorescence, electrochemical, mass spectrometric detection methods, offer an ideal toolset for examining even subcellular organelles; however, the isolation loading such small samples these devices is challenging. Recent advances have addressed this issue by interfacing a variety enhanced mechanical, microfluidic, optical sampling techniques to electrophoresis instruments single-cell analyses.