In this review, recent advances that leverage dielectrophoretic approaches to accomplish single-cell analysis (both “on-chip” and ”off-chip”) are discussed with special emphasis on eukaryotic cells. Dielectrophoresis as an electric-field-induced force utilized for cell manipulation can confer selectivity without labeling. Recent technical improvements have increased the volumetric throughput of the separation of cells from complex mixtures, introduced new strategies for massively parallel single-cell confinement for subsequent on-chip analysis, made possible selective transport of individual cells off-chip, and integrated preconcentration and prefocusing steps to enhance dielectrophoretic performance. Collectively, these studies potentiate all-in-one platforms capable of taking as their input complex mixtures of cells and accomplishing single-cell analysis. Assays requiring small reaction volumes (e.g., enzymatic assays, fluorescent in situ hybridization, and immunostaining) have been demonstrated. Still greater opportunities to unravel cell-to-cell variations and for point-of-care applications can be realized by making possible on-chip gene amplification, live-cell assays, and either dielectrophoretic manipulation in native media or on-chip exchange of media. We therefore conclude with a discussion of emerging capabilities in these areas.

在这篇综述中，讨论了利用介电电泳方法完成单细胞分析（“芯片上”和“芯片外”）的最新进展，其中特别强调了真核细胞。介电电泳是一种用于细胞操作的电场感应力，可以赋予选择性而无需标记。最近的技术改进提高了从复杂混合物中分离细胞的体积通量，引入了用于大规模并行单细胞限制以进行后续芯片分析的新策略，使得有可能将单个细胞进行芯片外选择性转运，以及集成的预浓缩和预聚焦增强介电泳性能的步骤。总的来说，这些研究增强了多合一平台的能力，能够将复杂的细胞混合物作为输入，并完成单细胞分析。已经证明需要小反应体积的测定（例如酶测定，荧光原位杂交和免疫染色）。通过使芯片上基因扩增，活细胞分析以及在天然培养基中进行介电泳操作或培养基上芯片交换成为可能，可以实现更多的机会来阐明细胞之间的变异以及现场护理应用。因此，我们以对这些领域中新兴能力的讨论作为结束。通过使芯片上基因扩增，活细胞分析以及在天然培养基中进行介电泳操作或培养基上芯片交换成为可能，可以实现更多的机会来阐明细胞之间的变异以及现场护理应用。因此，我们以对这些领域中新兴能力的讨论作为结束。通过使芯片上基因扩增，活细胞分析以及在天然培养基中进行介电泳操作或培养基上芯片交换成为可能，可以实现更多的机会来阐明细胞之间的变异以及现场护理应用。因此，我们以对这些领域中新兴能力的讨论作为结束。