Microfluidics as a Strategic Player to Decipher Single-Cell Omics?

Abstract

Most cell studies are performed at a population level, relying on the assumption of a normal distribution of the function and fate of a cell among a population. However, technologies allowing single-cell analysis (SCA) have recently arisen and have led to increasing evidence of cell population heterogeneity and its importance. Tremendous amounts of new data could now be uncovered to redefine our understanding of cell omics. Microfluidics has emerged as a major technological player in this new era and is gradually increasing in use among biology laboratories, mainly due to the single-cell high-throughput handling solutions it offers. In this review, we assess its use and relevance for omics analysis at the single-cell level, with a specific focus on compartment-based microfluidic approaches.