The cell is the basic unit of life and new methods for profiling the genetic characteristics of individual cells are transforming our understanding of disease. Cancer arises when a single cell acquires genetic alterations leading to uncontrolled replication. As tumor cells divide, they continue to acquire mutations which they pass on to their descendants, forming sub-populations with different characteristics. This genetic diversity can allow tumors to evolve resistance to treatment and eventually spread. As such, profiling the genetic alterations and patterns of gene expression in tumor cells and their surrounding environment can reveal mechanisms underlying disease relapse and metastatic progression. 

Current single cell genomic platforms have deficiencies in throughput, accuracy, and customizability. Under this project, researchers at The University of British Columbia developed the Isolatrix, an inkjet-based platform that integrates high-resolution imaging and neural network-based object recognition to rapidly isolate cells for genetic profiling.  

Building on a working prototype, the team engineered new hardware and software features to make the process of separating individual cells faster and more efficient. Temperature control customizability has been engineered into the platform hardware to reduce DNA degradation and ensure quality is not compromised by the evaporation of reagents. A neural network has been trained using over 3,000 complex images of cells to allow for accurate cell dispensing and recognition prior to DNA or RNA sequencing. An enhanced interface allows for easier operation, making the technology more accessible to end-users, increasing the Isolatrix’s competitiveness in a growing market and making it the first of its kind as a BC based innovation.  

Following prototype development, the team validated the platform by testing an established protocol for single cell sequencing against a widely used commercial instrument in use at BC Cancer. The Isolatrix demonstrated substantially shorter dispensing times for cells relative to the current instrument, resulting in better viability of cells and higher DNA copy number quality. 

The global market for single cell analysis is expanding rapidly, with growth in the academic research, biotechnology, pharmaceutical and diagnostic sectors. Comprehensive DNA and RNA sequencing approaches are not readily available at scale on existing commercial platforms. As such, further development of the Isolatrix is an opportunity to provide accurate and optimized single cell isolation and RNA sequencing technology to meet the demand of the growing market.