Biological Sciences
Research Highlights

April 2018

Consistently Identifying Proteins from Fewer Cells

Fusing microfluidics and robotics, scientists have developed a new sampling platform that is providing never-before-possible insights into proteins in human, animal, and plant cells.

Working with colleagues at the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory (EMSL), researchers from the Biological Sciences Division (BSD) helped fuse microfluidics and robotics for a new bioanalysis platform that uses far fewer cells than any other technology. 

The new sampling platform provides first-ever insights into proteins in human, animal, and plant cells.

The study appears in Nature Communications. BSD co-authors are Paul D. Piehowski, Yufeng Shen, Ronald J. Moore, Anil K. Shukla, Vladislav A. Petyuk, Richard D. Smith, and Wei-Jun Qian.

Detailed analysis of proteins is important for understanding how cells function. Until now, that has only been possible by sampling thousands to millions of cells.

The new robotically controlled processing platform reduces sample volume by more than two orders of magnitude. It also dramatically enhances such analyses.

For the full EMSL highlight, go here.