Essentials of Single-Cell Analysis Concepts, Applications and Future Prospects

This book provides an overview of single-cell isolation, separation, injection, lysis and dynamics analysis as well as a study of their heterogeneity using different miniaturized devices. As an important part of single-cell analysis, different techniques including electroporation, microinjection, optical trapping, optoporation, rapid electrokinetic patterning and optoelectronic tweezers are described in detail. It presents different fluidic systems (e.g. continuous micro/nano-fluidic devices, microfluidic cytometry) and their integration with sensor technology, optical and hydrodynamic stretchers etc., and demonstrates the applications of single-cell analysis in systems biology, proteomics, genomics, epigenomics, cancer transcriptomics, metabolomics, biomedicine and drug delivery systems. It also discusses the future challenges for single-cell analysis, including the advantages and limitations.

This book is enjoyable reading material while at the same time providing essential information to scientists in academia and professionals in industry working on different aspects of single-cell analysis. 

Dr. Fan-Gang Tseng is a Distinguished Professor of Engineering and System Science at the National Tsing Hua University, Taiwan.

Dr. Tuhin Subhra Santra is a Research Associate at the California Nano Systems Institute, University of California at Los Angeles, USA.

Single Cell Behavioral Assays for Heterogeneity Studies.- Systems biology in single cells.- Electroporation for single cell analysis.- Microinjection for single cell analysis.- Optical tools for single cell manipulation and analysis.- Optoelectrokinetic manipulation for cell analysis.- Continuous micro/nano-fluidic devices for single cell analysis.- Single Cell Mechanical Properties: Label-Free Biomarkers for Cell Status Evaluation.- Cytometry of single cells for biology and biomedicine.- Single cell genomics and epigenomics.- Single cell Metabolomics.- Applications of cell based drug delivery systems: use of single cell assay.- Applications of Single Cell Sequencing in Cancer.- Single Cell Characterization of Microalgal Lipid Contents with Confocal Raman Microscopy.- Single Differentiated Neurons from Pluripotent Embryonic Stem Cells: Motor Protein Modelling and Neurodegenerative Disease.

Dr. Fan-Gang Tseng received his Ph.D. degree in mechanical engineering from UCLA, USA, in 1998. He is currently a Distinguished Professor in the ESS Department as well as at the NEMS Institute, and the Deputy Director of the Biomedical Technology Research Center at NTHU. He is also an affiliated Research Fellow of Academia Sinica, Taiwan. He was elected as an ASME fellow in 2014. His research interests are in the fields of BioNEMS, Biosensors, Micro-Fluidics, Tissue Chips, and Fuel Cells. He holds 60 patents, authored 8 book chapters, and published more than 220 journal papers and 360 conference papers. Dr. Tseng currently serves on the editorial boards of Applied Sciences, Journal of Circuits and Systems, International Journal of Molecule Science, Micromachines, and Open Nanomedicine Journal. He received many awards, including National Innovation Award (twice), Outstanding Research Award (MOST and NSC, twice), First-Class Research Award (NSC), Mr. Wu, Da-Yo Memorial Award (NSC), NTHU Outstanding Research Award (2005-2015), and more than twelve best paper/poster awards from various competitions and conferences.

Dr. Tuhin Subhra Santra received his Ph.D. degree in Bio-Nano Electro Mechanical Systems (Bio-NEMS) from the Institute of Nanoengineering and Microsystems (NEMS), National Tsing Hua University (NTHU), Taiwan in 2013. Currently he is a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the California Nano System Institute (CNSI), University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), USA. His main research areas are Bio-NEMS, MEMS, Single-Cell Analysis, Bio-micro/nano Fabrication, Biomedical Microdevices, Nanomedicine and etc. Dr. Santra serves as a Guest Editor for the Journal of Micromachines, Journal of Molecules, International Journal of Molecular Science, Sensors and Transducers Journal, American Journal of Nanoresearch and Application, among others. Dr. Santra has received many awards such as the NTHU Outstanding Student Award in 2011 and 2013, IEEE-NEMSBest Conference Paper Award in 2014, Best Poster Award at 15th Nano/Microsystem Conference in 2012, Junior Research Fellowship from the IIT-Kharagpur in 2008, Outstanding Student Award from the Jadavpur University in 2005 and 2006, Silver Medal from the Vidyasagar University in 2004. Dr. Santra has published more than 15 international journal papers, six book chapters, 31 international conference papers in his research field. He also has one US and one Taiwan patent pending.