Microfluidics Coupled Mass Spectrometry for Single Cell Multi-Omics

Population-level analysis masks significant heterogeneity between individual cells, making it difficult to accurately reflect the true intricacies of life activities. Microfluidics is a technique that can manipulate individual cells effectively and is commonly coupled with a variety of analytical methods for single-cell analysis. Single-cell omics provides abundant molecular information at the single-cell level, fundamentally revealing differences in cell types and biological states among cell individuals, leading to a deeper understanding of cellular phenotypes and life activities. Herein, this work summarizes the microfluidic chips designed for single-cell isolation, manipulation, trapping, screening, and sorting, including droplet microfluidic chips, microwell arrays, hydrodynamic microfluidic chips, and microchips with microvalves. This work further reviews the studies on single-cell proteomics, metabolomics, lipidomics, and multi-omics based on microfluidics and mass spectrometry. Finally, the challenges and future application of single-cell multi-omics are discussed. Single-cell omics studies can reveal molecular mechanism that is obscured by population-based analysis. Microfluidics coupled with mass spectrometry is developed into a promising technique for single-cell omics study. In this review, commonly used microfluidics for single-cell manipulation are introduced. Microfluidics mass spectrometry strategies focusing on single-cell proteomics, metabolomics, lipidomics, and multi-omics are summarized and discussed in view of future perspectives.image

Automated summary

Population-level analysis masks heterogeneity between individual cells. Microfluidics coupled with mass spectrometry is a promising technique for studying single-cell omics. This review summarizes microfluidic chips designed for single-cell manipulation and discusses their applications in single-cell proteomics, metabolomics, lipidomics, and multi-omics.