The scale of biological discovery is driven by the vessels in which we can perform assays and analyze results, from multi-well plates to microfluidic compartments. We report on the compatibility of sub-nanoliter single-cell containers or “nanovials” with commercial fluorescence activated cell sorters (FACS). This recent lab on a particle approach utilizes 3D structured microparticles to isolate cells and perform single-cell assays at scale with existing lab equipment. Use of flow cytometry led to detection of fluorescently labeled protein with dynamic ranges spanning 2-3 log and detection limits down to ∼10,000 molecules per nanovial, which was the lowest amount tested. Detection limits were improved compared to fluorescence microscopy measurements using a 20X objective and a cooled CMOS camera. Nanovials with diameters between 35-85 µm could also be sorted with purity from 99-93% on different commercial instruments at throughputs up to 800 events/second. Cell-loaded nanovials were found to have unique forward and side (or back) scatter signatures that enabled gating of cell-containing nanovials using scatter metrics alone. The compatibility of nanovials with widely-available commercial FACS instruments promises to democratize single-cell assays used in discovery of antibodies and cell therapies, by enabling analysis of single cells based on secreted products and leveraging the unmatched analytical capabilities of flow cytometers to sort important clones.

生物发现的规模是由我们可以在其中进行化验和分析结果的容器驱动的，从多孔板到微流体隔间。我们报告了亚纳升单细胞容器或“纳米管”与商业荧光激活细胞分选仪 (FACS) 的兼容性。这个最近的粒子方法实验室利用 3D 结构化微粒来分离细胞并使用现有实验室设备大规模进行单细胞分析。流式细胞仪的使用导致检测荧光标记的蛋白质，其动态范围跨越 2-3 log，检测限低至每纳米瓶约 10,000 个分子，这是测试的最低量。与使用 20X 物镜和冷却 CMOS 相机的荧光显微镜测量相比，检测限有所提高。直径在 35-85 µm 之间的纳米管也可以在不同的商业仪器上以​​高达 800 个事件/秒的吞吐量进行分类，纯度为 99-93%。发现载有细胞的纳米瓶具有独特的前向和侧向（或后向）散射特征，可以单独使用散射指标对含有细胞的纳米瓶进行门控。纳米瓶与广泛使用的商业 FACS 仪器的兼容性有望使用于发现抗体和细胞疗法的单细胞测定民主化，通过基于分泌产物分析单细胞并利用流式细胞仪无与伦比的分析能力对重要克隆进行分类. 发现载有细胞的纳米瓶具有独特的前向和侧向（或后向）散射特征，可以单独使用散射指标对含有细胞的纳米瓶进行门控。纳米瓶与广泛使用的商业 FACS 仪器的兼容性有望使用于发现抗体和细胞疗法的单细胞测定民主化，通过基于分泌产物分析单细胞并利用流式细胞仪无与伦比的分析能力对重要克隆进行分类. 发现载有细胞的纳米瓶具有独特的前向和侧向（或后向）散射特征，可以单独使用散射指标对含有细胞的纳米瓶进行门控。纳米瓶与广泛使用的商业 FACS 仪器的兼容性有望使用于发现抗体和细胞疗法的单细胞测定民主化，通过基于分泌产物分析单细胞并利用流式细胞仪无与伦比的分析能力对重要克隆进行分类.