Tips for Success in Single Cell Studies: Novel Tip-Based Lithography Applications for Co-Culture, Cell Polarisation and Toxicology
John Collins, Senior Applications Scientist, NanoInk Inc, United States of America

Novel methods and materials are presented for the micro and nano fabrication of cellular microenvironments. We present the application of this in studies of single cell toxicology, polarisation, migration, differentiation and indivual co-culture.

Coffee Break and Networking in the Exhibition Hall

How to Use Microbial Community Dynamics as Biosensor for the State of Natural Environments
Susann Mueller, Group Leader, Helmholtz Centre of Environmental Research, Germany

Flow cytometric analysis of natural communities dynamics and abiotic data sets were correlated using the Spearmans’ rank order correlation coefficient. Certain clusters of cells were affiliated to certain functions in the natural system.

Measuring the Viscous and Elastic Properties of Single Cells Using Video Particle Tracking
Manlio Tassieri, Research Fellow, University of Glasgow, United Kingdom

We present a simple and non-invasive experimental procedure to measure the linear viscoelastic properties of cells. The insights gained from the proposed methodology could prove to be a valuable addition to studies that address cellular physiology and pathology.

Lunch and Networking in the Exhibition Hall

Poster Session

Single Cell Proteomics and Circulating Tumour Cells
David Klug, Co-Founder/Professor, Imperial College London, United Kingdom

For patients with metastatic cancer, Circulating Tumour Cells (CTCs) are known to be prognostic of patient survival. Although there are as yet no reliable markers associated with CTCs besides CTC number itself, there is a consensus that nucleaic acid, metabolite and protein analysis of CTCs are likely to yield a range of useful biomarkers of various kinds. CTCs are typically present in very small numbers, as few as one in a 7.5ml blood sample, and therefore reliable analysis of CTCs is a significant challenge. I present our progress on a platform technology designed to allow the analysis of copy number of cytosolic proteins at the single cell level without recourse to labeling methods such as GFP tagging. It is shown that the platform has both the sensitivity and precision to follow cell to cell variations. I also explain how the platform can in principle be adapted for the analysis of protein-protein interactions and potentially post translational modifications such as phosophorylation and mRNA copy number. Despite this encouraging progress some technical challenges remain and will also be discussed during the presentation.

Coffee Break and Networking in the Exhibition Hall

Single Molecule Mechanical Sequencing of DNA
David Bensimon, Research Director, Ecole Normale Superieure, France

I will present a novel method for DNA sequencing based on the mechanical opening and closing of DNA hairpins and the detection of roadblocks to rehybridization due to the presence in solution of complementary fragments.

An Optically Transparent Silicon CMOS Lab-On-A-Chip Technology Platform for Single Cell Analysis
Paul Holland, Lecturer, Swansea University, United Kingdom

We demonstrate a new silicon CMOS compatible Lab-On-A-Chip technology platform with optically transparent windows through the silicon wafer. This platform will facilitate single cell sorting and biological investigation using advanced analytical techniques such as AFM and epi-fluorescence microscopy.

Detecting and Sorting of Difference in Deformability of Single Cell Flowing in a Microchannel
Kazuyoshi Nakabe, Professor, Kyoto University, Japan

Effective methods to detect a difference in the deformability of red blood cell and sort the cells into two destinations are proposed and applied in micro-fluidic experiments using two types of electrodes carefully designed and mounted on a microchannel surface.

Combination of Rolling Circle-Enhanced Enzyme Activity Detection with Droplet Generating Microfluidics for Detection of Single Enzymatic Events in Rare- or Single Cells.
Birgitta Knudsen, Associate Professor, University of Aarhus, Denmark

By combining a rolling circle-enhanced enzyme activity detection (REEAD) assay with a droplet generating microfluidic device we have developed a system for the detection of rare, aberrant cells in a population of wild-type human cells. Moreover, the integrated system allows multiplexed detection of individual enzymatic events at the single cell level.

Drinks Reception

Single Cell Expression Profiling
Mikael Kubista, Professor/Founder, TATAA Biocenter AB, Sweden

In my talk I will describe single cell expression correlation as means to classify cell subtypes. The technique exploits the correlation between expression levels of transcripts involved in related biological processes within individual cells.

Challenges of Analyzing Single Cell Gene Expression Data
Kenneth Livak, Senior Scientific Fellow, Fluidigm Corporation, United States of America

Practical steps for analyzing single-cell qPCR data will be presented.  These are required because the stochastic nature of eukaryotic transcription at the single cell level means that conventional methods for analyzing qPCR data often do not apply.

Coffee Break and Networking in the Exhibition Hall

Infrared Spectroscopic Analysis of Stem Cell Differentation
Peter Gardner, Head, University of Manchester, United Kingdom

The recent development of scattering correction algorithms means that infrared spectroscopy can be used to study single biological and is now having an impact on stem cell research specifically, the early indication of stem cell differentiation

Lunch and Networking in the Exhibition Hall

Poster Session

Recording Signal Transduction Dynamics With Unprecedented Temporal Resolution
Jonathan West, Research Associate, Leibniz Institut für Analytische Wissenschaften, Germany

The presentation will describe the development of a 2-step deterministic lateral displacement microfluidic system for stimulating and recording cell surface events with millisecond resolution. The system has been applied to the investigation of insulin-like growth factor receptor autophosphorylation transitions.

Visualization of Signal Pathway Activity in Single Cells Using in situ PLA and Padlock Probes
Ola Soderberg, Associate Professor/Senior Lecturer, Uppsala University, Sweden

In the presentation in situ Proximity ligation assay and padlock probes will be described, and the advantages of these methods for analyses of single cells, particularly in fixed tissue sections, will be discussed.

Coffee Break and Networking in the Exhibition Hall

Single Cell Analysis in Oxidative Stress
Christian Amatore, Professor, Ecole Normale Superieure, France

We will be concerned by oxidative stress, a main defense mechanism in aerobic organisms but whose overloading creates high risk conditions.

The Envirostat 2.0 - Single Cell Analysis in Contactless Controlled Microenvironments
Frederik Fritzsch, Researcher, TU Dortmund University, Germany

Contactless and enhanced nDEP single cell manipulations of different human cell lines down to contactless trapping of platelets will be demonstrated and first microenvironmental controlled contactless single bacterium isolation and growth analysis in streams of different media will be presented.

Close of Conference