Abstract: In the recent paradigm shift in biological research, single-cell experiments have emerged as a pivotal technique, uncovering the unique characteristics of individual cells that often remain obscured in bulk experiments. These experiments are instrumental in identifying cells with exceptional properties, a crucial aspect in antibody development, cell therapy, cell line development, and synthetic biology. Over the past decade, significant advancements have been made in the development of tools for high-throughput analysis of large cell populations. However, there is a gap in the technology available for analyzing these populations at the single-cell level.
Currently, a major challenge in single-cell analysis is the lack of technology that can examine large populations of cells individually in an inert environment. This environment is essential to prevent stress on the cells, which can alter their natural state and skew experimental results. Additionally, post-analysis isolation of specific cells of interest for downstream processes remains a complex and often economically unfeasible task.
ARRALYZE, a cutting-edge digital cell biology platform, bridges this gap by integrating several groundbreaking features. The platform utilizes highly miniaturized glass nano-well arrays for single-cell screening. This novel approach allows for meticulous examination of individual cells within large populations. These glass arrays are innovative in their design but also in their size, with a thousand of micrometer-sized wells fitting into the footprint of a standard microscope slide. This miniaturization enables fast screening while maintaining an inert and non-stressful environment for the cells, at costs that enable the democratization of functional single cell assays for all research groups.
Our presentation will showcase the versatility and functionality of our platform, the Cell Shepherd. We will demonstrate how single cells are precisely placed into these wells, and how they can be imaged in high throughput using brightfield and fluorescent microscopy. One of the most notable features of ARRALYZE is its ability to isolate specific cells of interest while keeping them alive, an aspect that is especially beneficial for downstream applications like cell culturing or molecular analysis.
The implications of ARRALYZE are far-reaching and particularly important to participants in the fields of therapeutic antibodies, cell therapy, cell line development, and synthetic biology. Our contribution highlights not only a technological innovation but also a paradigm shift in single-cell analysis, offering a more refined, stress-free, and economical approach to studying individual cells within large populations. This advancement opens new frontiers in technology, paving the way for more accurate and comprehensive biological research and therapeutic development.
