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Journal ArticleDOI

High-throughput microfluidic single-cell RT-qPCR

TL;DR: This work presents a fully integrated microfluidic device capable of performing high-precision RT-qPCR measurements of gene expression from hundreds of single cells per run, and shows that nanoliter volume processing reduced measurement noise, increased sensitivity, and provided single nucleotide specificity.
Abstract: A long-sought milestone in microfluidics research has been the development of integrated technology for scalable analysis of transcription in single cells Here we present a fully integrated microfluidic device capable of performing high-precision RT-qPCR measurements of gene expression from hundreds of single cells per run Our device executes all steps of single-cell processing, including cell capture, cell lysis, reverse transcription, and quantitative PCR In addition to higher throughput and reduced cost, we show that nanoliter volume processing reduced measurement noise, increased sensitivity, and provided single nucleotide specificity We apply this technology to 3,300 single-cell measurements of (i) miRNA expression in K562 cells, (ii) coregulation of a miRNA and one of its target transcripts during differentiation in embryonic stem cells, and (iii) single nucleotide variant detection in primary lobular breast cancer cells The core functionality established here provides the foundation from which a variety of on-chip single-cell transcription analyses will be developed

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Citations
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Journal ArticleDOI
Aviv Regev1, Aviv Regev2, Aviv Regev3, Sarah A. Teichmann4, Sarah A. Teichmann5, Sarah A. Teichmann6, Eric S. Lander2, Eric S. Lander7, Eric S. Lander1, Ido Amit8, Christophe Benoist7, Ewan Birney5, Bernd Bodenmiller9, Bernd Bodenmiller5, Peter J. Campbell4, Peter J. Campbell6, Piero Carninci4, Menna R. Clatworthy10, Hans Clevers11, Bart Deplancke12, Ian Dunham5, James Eberwine13, Roland Eils14, Roland Eils15, Wolfgang Enard16, Andrew Farmer, Lars Fugger17, Berthold Göttgens4, Nir Hacohen7, Nir Hacohen2, Muzlifah Haniffa18, Martin Hemberg6, Seung K. Kim19, Paul Klenerman20, Paul Klenerman17, Arnold R. Kriegstein21, Ed S. Lein22, Sten Linnarsson23, Emma Lundberg19, Emma Lundberg24, Joakim Lundeberg24, Partha P. Majumder, John C. Marioni4, John C. Marioni5, John C. Marioni6, Miriam Merad25, Musa M. Mhlanga26, Martijn C. Nawijn27, Mihai G. Netea28, Garry P. Nolan19, Dana Pe'er29, Anthony Phillipakis2, Chris P. Ponting30, Stephen R. Quake19, Wolf Reik6, Wolf Reik31, Wolf Reik4, Orit Rozenblatt-Rosen2, Joshua R. Sanes7, Rahul Satija32, Ton N. Schumacher33, Alex K. Shalek34, Alex K. Shalek2, Alex K. Shalek1, Ehud Shapiro8, Padmanee Sharma35, Jay W. Shin, Oliver Stegle5, Michael R. Stratton6, Michael J. T. Stubbington6, Fabian J. Theis36, Matthias Uhlen24, Matthias Uhlen37, Alexander van Oudenaarden11, Allon Wagner38, Fiona M. Watt39, Jonathan S. Weissman, Barbara J. Wold40, Ramnik J. Xavier, Nir Yosef38, Nir Yosef34, Human Cell Atlas Meeting Participants 
05 Dec 2017-eLife
TL;DR: An open comprehensive reference map of the molecular state of cells in healthy human tissues would propel the systematic study of physiological states, developmental trajectories, regulatory circuitry and interactions of cells, and also provide a framework for understanding cellular dysregulation in human disease.
Abstract: The recent advent of methods for high-throughput single-cell molecular profiling has catalyzed a growing sense in the scientific community that the time is ripe to complete the 150-year-old effort to identify all cell types in the human body. The Human Cell Atlas Project is an international collaborative effort that aims to define all human cell types in terms of distinctive molecular profiles (such as gene expression profiles) and to connect this information with classical cellular descriptions (such as location and morphology). An open comprehensive reference map of the molecular state of cells in healthy human tissues would propel the systematic study of physiological states, developmental trajectories, regulatory circuitry and interactions of cells, and also provide a framework for understanding cellular dysregulation in human disease. Here we describe the idea, its potential utility, early proofs-of-concept, and some design considerations for the Human Cell Atlas, including a commitment to open data, code, and community.

1,391 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The unabated progress in next-generation sequencing technologies is fostering a wave of new genomics, epigenomics, transcriptomics and proteomics technologies, enabling high-throughput, multi-dimensional analyses of individual cells that will produce detailed knowledge of the cell lineage trees of higher organisms, including humans.
Abstract: The unabated progress in next-generation sequencing technologies is fostering a wave of new genomics, epigenomics, transcriptomics and proteomics technologies. These sequencing-based technologies are increasingly being targeted to individual cells, which will allow many new and longstanding questions to be addressed. For example, single-cell genomics will help to uncover cell lineage relationships; single-cell transcriptomics will supplant the coarse notion of marker-based cell types; and single-cell epigenomics and proteomics will allow the functional states of individual cells to be analysed. These technologies will become integrated within a decade or so, enabling high-throughput, multi-dimensional analyses of individual cells that will produce detailed knowledge of the cell lineage trees of higher organisms, including humans. Such studies will have important implications for both basic biological research and medicine.

1,064 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: An overview of the current state of the field of single-cell genome sequencing is provided, focusing on the technical challenges of making measurements that start from a single molecule of DNA, and how some of these recent methodological advancements have enabled the discovery of unexpected new biology.
Abstract: Single-cell genome sequencing can provide detailed insights into the composition of single genomes that are not readily apparent when studying bulk cell populations. This Review discusses the considerable technical challenges of amplifying and interrogating genomes from single cells, emerging innovative solutions and various applications in microbiology and human disease, in particular in cancer.

1,061 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
27 Jun 2013-Nature
TL;DR: It is reported that in human breast cancer cells 17β-oestradiol (E2)-bound oestrogen receptor α (ER-α) causes a global increase in eRNA transcription on enhancers adjacent to E2-upregulated coding genes, indicating that eRNAs are likely to have important functions in many regulated programs of gene transcription.
Abstract: The functional importance of gene enhancers in regulated gene expression is well established. In addition to widespread transcription of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in mammalian cells, bidirectional ncRNAs are transcribed on enhancers, and are thus referred to as enhancer RNAs (eRNAs). However, it has remained unclear whether these eRNAs are functional or merely a reflection of enhancer activation. Here we report that in human breast cancer cells 17β-oestradiol (E2)-bound oestrogen receptor α (ER-α) causes a global increase in eRNA transcription on enhancers adjacent to E2-upregulated coding genes. These induced eRNAs, as functional transcripts, seem to exert important roles for the observed ligand-dependent induction of target coding genes, increasing the strength of specific enhancer-promoter looping initiated by ER-α binding. Cohesin, present on many ER-α-regulated enhancers even before ligand treatment, apparently contributes to E2-dependent gene activation, at least in part by stabilizing E2/ER-α/eRNA-induced enhancer-promoter looping. Our data indicate that eRNAs are likely to have important functions in many regulated programs of gene transcription.

868 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The successful demonstration of electrophoresis and electroosmotic pumping in a microfluidic device provided a nonmechanical method for both fluid control and separation, and integration of multiple processes can be highly enabling for many applications.
Abstract: Microfluidics consist of microfabricated structures for liquid handling, with cross-sections in the 1–500 μm range, and small volume capacity (fL-nL) Capillary tubes connected with fittings,1 although utilizing small volumes, are not considered microfluidics for the purposes of this paper since they are not microfabricated Likewise, millifluidic systems, made by conventional machining tools, are excluded due to their larger feature sizes (>500 μm) Though micromachined systems for gas chromatography were introduced in the 1970’s,2 the field of microfluidics did not gain much traction until the 1990’s3 Silicon and glass were the original materials used, but then the focus shifted to include polymer substrates, and in particular, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) Since then the field has grown to encompass a wide variety of materials and applications The successful demonstration of electrophoresis and electroosmotic pumping in a microfluidic device provided a nonmechanical method for both fluid control and separation4 Laser induced fluorescence (LIF) enabled sensitive detection of fluorophores or fluorescently labeled molecules The expanded availability of low-cost printing allowed for cheaper and quicker mask fabrication for use in soft lithography5 Commercial microfluidic systems are now available from Abbott, Agilent, Caliper, Dolomite, Micralyne, Microfluidic Chip Shop, Micrux Technologies and Waters, as a few prominent examples For a more thorough description of the history of microfluidics, we refer the reader to a number of comprehensive, specialized reviews,3, 6–11 as well as a more general 2006 review12 The field of microfluidics offers many advantages compared to carrying out processes through bulk solution chemistry, the first of which relates to a lesson taught to every first-year chemistry student Simply stated, diffusion is slow! Thus, the smaller the distance required for interaction, the faster it will be Smaller channel dimensions also lead to smaller sample volumes (fL-nL), which can reduce the amount of sample or reagents required for testing and analysis Reduced dimensions can also lead to portable devices to enable on-site testing (provided the associated hardware is similarly portable) Finally, integration of multiple processes (like labeling, purification, separation and detection) in a microfluidic device can be highly enabling for many applications Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) contain integrated electrical and mechanical parts that create a sensor or system Applications of MEMS are ubiquitous, including automobiles, phones, video games and medical and biological sensors13 Micro-total analysis systems, also known as labs-on-a-chip, are the chemical analogue of MEMS, as integrated microfluidic devices that are capable of automating multiple processes relevant to laboratory sciences For example, a typical lab-on-a-chip system might selectively purify a complex mixture (through filtering, antibody capture, etc), then separate target components and detect them Microfluidic devices consist of a core of common components Areas defined by empty space, such as reservoirs (wells), chambers and microchannels, are central to microfluidic systems Positive features, created by areas of solid material, add increased functionality to a chip and can consist of membranes, monoliths, pneumatic controls, beams and pillars Given the ubiquitous nature of negative components, and microchannels in particular, we focus here on a few of their properties Microfluidic channels have small overall volumes, laminar flow and a large surface-to-volume ratio Dimensions of a typical separation channel in microchip electrophoresis (μCE) are: 50 μm width, 15 μm height and 5 cm length for a volume of 375 nL Flow in these devices is normally nonturbulent due to low Reynolds numbers For example, water flowing at 20°C in the above channel at 1 μL/min (222 cm/s) results in a Reynolds number of ~05, where <2000 is laminar flow Since flow is nonturbulent, mixing is normally diffusion-limited Small channel sizes also have a high surface-to-volume ratio, leading to different characteristics from what are commonly found in bulk volumes The material surface can be used to manipulate fluid movement (such as by electroosmotic flow, EOF) and surface interactions For a solution in contact with a charged surface, a double layer of charge is created as oppositely charged ions are attracted to the surface charges This electrical double layer consists of an inner rigid or Stern Layer and an outer diffuse layer An electrostatic potential known as the zeta potential is formed, with the magnitude of the potential decreasing as distance from the surface increases The electrical double layer is the basis for EOF, wherein an applied voltage causes the loosely bound diffuse layer to move towards an electrode, dragging the bulk solution along Charges on the exposed surface also exert a greater influence on the fluid in a channel as its size decreases Larger surface-to-volume ratios are more prone to nonspecific adsorption and surface fouling In particular, non-charged and hydrophobic microdevice surfaces can cause proteins in solution to denature and stick We focus our review on advances in microfluidic systems since 2008 In doing this, we occasionally must cover foundational work in microfluidics that is considerably less recent We do not focus on chemical synthesis applications of microfluidics although it is an expanding area, nor do we delve into lithography, device fabrication or production costs Our specific emphasis herein is on four areas within microfluidics: properties and applications of commonly used materials, basic functions, integration, and selected applications For each of these four topics we provide a concluding section on opportunities for future development, and at the end of this review, we offer general conclusions and prospective for future work in the field Due to the considerable scope of the field of microfluidics, we limit our discussion to selected examples from each area, but cite in-depth reviews for the reader to turn to for further information about specific topics We also refer the reader to recent comprehensive reviews on advances in lab-on-a-chip systems by Arora et al10 and Kovarik et al14

736 citations

References
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Journal ArticleDOI
23 Jan 2004-Cell
TL;DR: Although they escaped notice until relatively recently, miRNAs comprise one of the more abundant classes of gene regulatory molecules in multicellular organisms and likely influence the output of many protein-coding genes.

32,946 citations


"High-throughput microfluidic single..." refers background in this paper

  • ...miRNAs are thought to provide a unique signature of cellular state and are central players in orchestrating development and oncogenesis, making them a promising class of biomarker for single-cell analysis (15, 22, 23)....

    [...]

Journal ArticleDOI
09 Jun 2005-Nature
TL;DR: A new, bead-based flow cytometric miRNA expression profiling method is used to present a systematic expression analysis of 217 mammalian miRNAs from 334 samples, including multiple human cancers, and finds the miRNA profiles are surprisingly informative, reflecting the developmental lineage and differentiation state of the tumours.
Abstract: Recent work has revealed the existence of a class of small non-coding RNA species, known as microRNAs (miRNAs), which have critical functions across various biological processes. Here we use a new, bead-based flow cytometric miRNA expression profiling method to present a systematic expression analysis of 217 mammalian miRNAs from 334 samples, including multiple human cancers. The miRNA profiles are surprisingly informative, reflecting the developmental lineage and differentiation state of the tumours. We observe a general downregulation of miRNAs in tumours compared with normal tissues. Furthermore, we were able to successfully classify poorly differentiated tumours using miRNA expression profiles, whereas messenger RNA profiles were highly inaccurate when applied to the same samples. These findings highlight the potential of miRNA profiling in cancer diagnosis.

9,470 citations


"High-throughput microfluidic single..." refers background in this paper

  • ...miRNAs are thought to provide a unique signature of cellular state and are central players in orchestrating development and oncogenesis, making them a promising class of biomarker for single-cell analysis (15, 22, 23)....

    [...]

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A novel microRNA quantification method has been developed using stem–loop RT followed by TaqMan PCR analysis, which enables fast, accurate and sensitive miRNA expression profiling and can identify and monitor potential biomarkers specific to tissues or diseases.
Abstract: A novel microRNA (miRNA) quantification method has been developed using stem–loop RT followed by TaqMan PCR analysis. Stem–loop RT primers are better than conventional ones in terms of RT efficiency and specificity. TaqMan miRNA assays are specific for mature miRNAs and discriminate among related miRNAs that differ by as little as one nucleotide. Furthermore, they are not affected by genomic DNA contamination. Precise quantification is achieved routinely with as little as 25 pg of total RNA for most miRNAs. In fact, the high sensitivity, specificity and precision of this method allows for direct analysis of a single cell without nucleic acid purification. Like standard TaqMan gene expression assays, TaqMan miRNA assays exhibit a dynamic range of seven orders of magnitude. Quantification of five miRNAs in seven mouse tissues showed variation from less than 10 to more than 30 000 copies per cell. This method enables fast, accurate and sensitive miRNA expression profiling and can identify and monitor potential biomarkers specific to tissues or diseases. Stem–loop RT–PCR can be used for the quantification of other small RNA molecules such as short interfering RNAs (siRNAs). Furthermore, the concept of stem–loop RT primer design could be applied in small RNA cloning and multiplex assays for better specificity and efficiency.

4,599 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
07 Apr 2000-Science
TL;DR: An extension to the soft lithography paradigm, multilayersoft lithography, with which devices consisting of multiple layers may be fabricated from soft materials is described, to build active microfluidic systems containing on-off valves, switching valves, and pumps entirely out of elastomer.
Abstract: Soft lithography is an alternative to silicon-based micromachining that uses replica molding of nontraditional elastomeric materials to fabricate stamps and microfluidic channels. We describe here an extension to the soft lithography paradigm, multilayer soft lithography, with which devices consisting of multiple layers may be fabricated from soft materials. We used this technique to build active microfluidic systems containing on-off valves, switching valves, and pumps entirely out of elastomer. The softness of these materials allows the device areas to be reduced by more than two orders of magnitude compared with silicon-based devices. The other advantages of soft lithography, such as rapid prototyping, ease of fabrication, and biocompatibility, are retained.

4,218 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
29 Jun 2007-Cell
TL;DR: A relatively small set of miRNAs, many of which are ubiquitously expressed, account for most of the differences in miRNA profiles between cell lineages and tissues.

3,687 citations


"High-throughput microfluidic single..." refers background in this paper

  • ...We first measured the expression of miR-16, a highly expressed microRNA that is found in many tissue types (25) and has been suggested as a suitable internal standard for normalization (26)....

    [...]

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