Microfluidic Whole Genome Amplification Device for Single Cell Sequencing

We developed a microfluidic device to perform multiplex single-cell whole-genome amplification (WGA) using multiple annealing and looping-based amplification cycles (MALBAC). This device, made of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), allows us to monitor the whole process of cell loading and single-cell WGA for sequencing. We show that the genome coverage of MALBAC amplifications is reproducible between chambers on a single chip and between different chips, which enables data normalization using standard samples to accurately identify copy number variations (CNVs). This device provides an easy-to-operate approach to perform single cell sequencing library preparation with minimum hands-on time. It reduces the requirement of manual expertise as well as the risk of contamination, which is essential in future applications especially the medical diagnosis.