Devices and methods for compartmentalizing cells and for generating cdna molecules

A method for analyzing a biological sample, comprising:

• a) introducing the biological sample into a fluidic device, wherein:
• the fluidic device comprises a chamber, a port, and a channel,
• the chamber, the port, and the channel are interconnected and in fluid communication,
• the biological sample comprises a plurality of cells, and
• the biological sample comprises a flow direction within the fluidic device;
• b) compartmentalizing each cell of at least 105 cells of the plurality of cells, thereby physically separating each cell of the at least 105 cells;
• c) lysing at least a portion of the at least 105 cells, thereby releasing mRNA molecules from the at least portion of the at least 105 cells;
• d) capturing at least a subset of the mRNA molecules using a plurality of capture elements, thereby obtaining captured mRNA molecules;
• and
• e) reverse transcribing at least a subset of the captured mRNA molecules to form cDNA molecules.