Single-cell analysis began as a new direction in which systems biologists could map the input-output functions in mammalian cells. The idea was that the isolation of single cells would allow a new means of controlling of a cell’s microenvironment and the accompanying spatial and temporal signals, making it more physiologically relevant; this would therefore provide a window for study into how cells respond to various perturbations. While this idea is theoretically sound, in order to generate meaningful results, thousands of cells have to be sampled for any study. Various methods have been incorporated to increase efficiency, but all provide advantages and disadvantages. |
The rise of microfludic technology in the last decade has opened up new doors for this field of study. These ideas, built primarily around the application of lithography from the semiconductor industry to polymeric materials, anchored by a solid foundation in fluid mechanics, allow for novel methods of controlling cells and their microenvironments, as well as faster ways of analyzing them. Here, we present various motivations behind the development of microfluidic arrays for cellular studies, as well as their design principles and some of their potential applications in clinical medicine and biomedical science. |
