microTAStic: Hirofumi Shintaku on Micro-Nano for Single-cell Analyses; Opening by Steven Vasilescu
Talk 1: Opening talk selected from outstanding papers published in Microsystems & Nanoengineering: "The Microfluidic Edge: Elevating the Standards of Sperm Selection", Steven Vasilescu, University of Technology Sydney
Talk 2: "Micro- and nanoscale electrokinetics for single-cell multimodal analyses", Hirofumi Shintaku, Kyoto University
Talk 1 abstract: Our study introduces new microfluidic technology that transforms the way we select sperm for fertility treatments by mimicking the female reproductive tract. This biomimetic method, far surpassing traditional techniques, harnesses the power of microscale channels in a kind of sperm olympics to isolate the healthiest and most viable sperm with remarkable precision. This technology is not only innovative but also offers a gentler, quicker, and more reliable process, making it a promising advancement in reproductive medicine.
Talk 2 abstract: Nanopore electroporation uses nanoscale structures to create focused electric fields, which form pores in lipid bilayers with low invasiveness. We here discuss the
biophysics of the pore formation that depends on the cell surface tension and introduce an approach that leverages nanopore electroporation and single-cell RNA-sequencing to parallelly profile cell surface tension and gene expression. We show that our system dissects the heterogeneity in cellular mechanics and uncovers the regulatory mechanism in cancer malignancy, cell differentiation, and cellular senescence.