Scientists Develop Nanoliter System for Prolonged Single-Cell Imaging of ESC Proliferation, University of British Columbia Reveals

Researchers report on the development of a microfluidic platform that allows the long-term culture and study of stem cell proliferation at the single-cell level. They claim the nanoliter chamber-based array system essentially mimics conventional culture systems, and allows the precise, automated control of medium exchange without disturbing the cells, so their responses to changing conditions can be evaluated by live-cell imaging. Studies by the University of British Columbia-led team confirmed that mouse hematopoietic stem cells cultured using the system subsequently retained their functional properties in vitro and in vivo. The researchers describe their approach, and in vitro and in vivo assay results, in Nature Methods. The paper is titled “High-throughput analysis of single hematopoietic stem cell proliferation in microfluidic cell culture arrays.”

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