Researchers have developed a capsule-based method that allows them to analyze the same cells through multiple experimental steps. This technology could overcome long-standing limitations in cell research and open new ways to study disease mechanisms at the single-cell level.
In a study published in a scientific journal scienceVisiting Professor Linas Mazutis and his research team at Umeå University have presented a new technique for analyzing individual cells. This method addresses long-standing technical challenges in cell research. Until now, scientists have typically been able to analyze each cell only once, making it difficult to study how individual cells change or respond to different experimental conditions.
All cells are different, and understanding those differences is key to understanding disease. ”
Professor Linas Mazutis, Umeå University
Tiny capsules keep cell DNA intact
This new technology is based on what researchers call “innovation.” Semipermeable capsule technologyusing microscopic capsules each containing a single cell. The capsule has a liquid core surrounded by a thin porous membrane. Small molecules such as enzymes and chemical reagents can pass through the membrane, but larger molecules such as DNA and RNA are kept inside.
This makes it possible to analyze hundreds of thousands of individual cells simultaneously using standard laboratory equipment. Single cells can be processed and analyzed multiple times without being lost or contaminated. This was not possible with previous droplet-based technologies.
“This capsule combines the speed of microfluidics (a technology that works with extremely small amounts of liquid) with the flexibility of traditional laboratory workflows,” says Linas Mazutis. “This allows advanced molecular biology workflows to be performed step-by-step while keeping the genetic material of each cell isolated.”
Easier identification of rare cell types
The researchers also showed that the cells could be kept alive for long periods of time inside the capsules or disassembled for genetic analysis. Additionally, we introduced a new RNA-seq method that facilitates the identification of vulnerable or rare cell types, cells that are often lost using existing methods.
The researchers say the technology is simple and scalable, making it suitable for widespread use in biological and medical research. In the long term, it could contribute to deeper insights into how diseases develop at the cellular level and help pave the way for more precise and personalized treatments. For example, researchers can use this method to study how individual cancer cells within the same tumor respond differently to drugs, or to identify rare immune cells that cause disease but are often missed by existing techniques.
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Reference magazines:
Barron, D. Others. (2025). High-throughput single-cell omics using semipermeable capsules. science. DOI: 10.1126/science.ady7227. https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.ady7227
