Quantitative Measurement of Cell Surface Expression Via Magnetophoretic Cytometry

Abstract

Identification of membrane antigens and measurement of their expression within a cell population is of fundamental importance to medical and biological studies. In this work, we present a cytometry approach that is based on magnetophoresis and distributed Coulter sensing in a microfluidic system. Our magnetophoretic cytometer offers quantitative analysis of cell membrane antigens on a portable and disposable platform compared to conventional flow cytometers, which are complex, expensive and large systems. Our tests with human breast cancer cells show the utility of our microfluidic device and its potential as a point-of-care instrument for biomedical testing.