title: Single cell analytics: an overview.
abstract: The research field of single cell analysis is rapidly expanding, driven by developments in flow cytometry, microscopy, lab-on-a-chip devices, and many other fields. The promises of these developments include deciphering cellular mechanisms and the quantification of cell-to-cell differences, ideally with spatio-temporal resolution. However, these promises are challenging as the analytical techniques have to cope with minute analyte amounts and concentrations. We formulate first these challenges and then present state-of-the-art analytical techniques available to investigate the different cellular hierarchies--from the genome to the phenome, i.e., the sum of all phenotypes.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Chemical Biotechnology, Department of Biochemical and Chemical Engineering, TU Dortmund University, Emil-Figge-Str. 66, 44221, Dortmund, Germany.
authors.forename: Hendrik
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kortmann
authors.forename: Lars M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Blank
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schmid
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D002469:Cell Separation / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D002478:Cells, Cultured / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology*; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D046228:Microarray Analysis / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D008853:Microscopy / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*