Single cell sequencing
AssigneeIllumina, Inc.
InventorsKristina Fontanez, Robert Meltzer, Yi Xue, Sepehr Kiani
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The disclosure provides methods and systems of analyzing single cells by simultaneously separating cells into monodisperse droplets and tagging each nucleic acid molecule from the cells with barcodes unique to each droplet. The methods and systems combine template particles with a plurality of single cells in a tube, generate in the tube monodispersed droplets encapsulating a single one of the template particles and a single one of the single cells, release nucleic acid molecules from the single cells and provide each nucleic acid molecule with a barcode unique to the respective droplet. The nucleic acid molecules can then be analyzed by any known method, for example by sequencing the nucleic acid molecules.
Claims18
A method for analyzing a cell, the method comprising:
- combining a plurality of cells with a plurality of template particles in a first fluid;
- adding a second fluid;
- shearing the fluids to generate an emulsion comprising monodispersed droplets that each contain a single cell and a single template particle;
- releasing nucleic acid molecules from each of the single cells within the monodispersed droplets;
- and
- tagging each nucleic acid molecule with a barcode unique to the monodispersed droplet.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.