Issue 12, 2017

Finding a helix in a haystack: nucleic acid cytometry with droplet microfluidics

Abstract

Nucleic acids encode the information of life, programming cellular functions and dictating many biological outcomes. Differentiating between cells based on their nucleic acid programs is, thus, a powerful way to unravel the genetic bases of many phenotypes. This is especially important considering that most cells exist in heterogeneous populations, requiring them to be isolated before they can be studied. Existing flow cytometry techniques, however, are unable to reliably recover specific cells based on nucleic acid content. Nucleic acid cytometry is a new field built on droplet microfluidics that allows robust identification, sorting, and sequencing of cells based on specific nucleic acid biomarkers. This review highlights applications that immediately benefit from the approach, biological questions that can be addressed for the first time with it, and considerations for building successful workflows.

Graphical abstract: Finding a helix in a haystack: nucleic acid cytometry with droplet microfluidics

Article information

Article type
Critical Review
Submitted
06 mrt 2017
Accepted
05 mei 2017
First published
11 mei 2017

Lab Chip, 2017,17, 2032-2045

Finding a helix in a haystack: nucleic acid cytometry with droplet microfluidics

I. C. Clark and A. R. Abate, Lab Chip, 2017, 17, 2032 DOI: 10.1039/C7LC00241F

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements