Novel quantum dot-based technique sees 100 different molecules in a single cell
July 16, 2013
New research from the University of Washington offers a more comprehensive way of analyzing a single cell’s unique behavior and could reveal patterns that indicate why a cell will or will not become malignant.
Xiaohu Gua and graduate student Pavel Zrazhevskiy have used an array of distinctly colored quantum dots to illuminate 100 biomarkers, a ten-fold increase from the current research standard, to help analyze individual cells from cultures or tissue biopsies.
Other approaches have measured multiple biomarkers in a single cell, but what makes this technique promising is that it reuses the same precious tissue sample in a cyclical process to measure 100 biomolecules in groups of ten.
How to measure 100 biomolecules
The process starts by pairing a commercially available antibody (left) (known to bind with specific biomolecules) with a quantum dot (center) of distinct size and therefore color.
The two investigators have shown that they can repeat this process at least ten times without producing any signs of tissue damage.
The researchers note that because this methodology uses commercially available enzymes and standard fluorescence microscopes, it is relatively low cost. They also plan to automate the procedure using microfluidics and automated image processing technologies.
Credit for images: Pavel Zrazhevskiy et al./Nature Communications