Microfluidic single cell analysis: from promise to practice

Methods for single-cell analysis are critical to revealing cell-to-cell variability in biological systems, especially in cases where relevant minority cell populations can be obscured by population-averaged measurements. However, to date single cell studies have been limited by the cost and throughput required to examine large numbers of cells and the difficulties associated with analyzing small amounts of starting material. Microfluidic approaches are well suited to resolving these issues by providing increased senstitivity, economy of scale, and automation. After many years of development microfluidic systems are now finding traction in a variety of single-cell analytics including gene expression measurements, protein analysis, signaling response, and growth dynamics. With newly developed tools now being applied in fields ranging from human haplotyping and drug discovery to stem cell and cancer research, the long-heralded promise of microfluidic single cell analysis is now finally being realized.