This chapter describes a microfluidic device that enables immobilization and culturing of single rod-shaped S. pombe cells in a stand-up mode. The wide-band electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) has been integrated in the microfluidic device to continuously measure cell growth of single S. pombe cells. Cell growth curves showing cellular and intracellular features at high spatiotemporal resolution can be obtained from EIS signals. The features include longitudinal cell elongation in the G2 phase, mitosis, and cell division during an entire cell cycle of S. pombe cells. Microfluidics-based EIS systems provide, hence, a tool for dynamic single-cell studies.
Keywords: Cell cycle; Cell growth; Electrical impedance spectroscopy; Microfluidics; Nuclear division; Schizosaccharomyces pombe.