Device for analyzing biological samples

Abstract

System for analyzing biological components in a biological sample, the system comprising a fluid device, the system being configured to perform a procedure comprising: (a) incorporating the fluid device into an apparatus, wherein: the fluid device comprises a microfluidic device or a nanofluidic device, the microfluidic device or the nanofluidic device comprises a chamber, a port and a channel, the chamber, the port and the channel are interconnected and in fluid communication, the channel has a cross-sectional dimension of about 0.1 micrometers (µm) to about 500 µm, and the fluid device comprises the biological sample, the biological sample comprises a plurality of cells, the apparatus includes a temperature controller, and the temperature controller is in thermal communication with the fluid device;(b) Modulating the temperature of the fluid device using the temperature controller; (c) Passing the biological sample through the channel, the device applying overpressure, underpressure, or a combination thereof to the biological sample during flow; (d) Forming a plurality of compartments, each of the at least 10⁵ cells subdividing the plurality of cells, each compartment of the plurality of compartments collectively enclosing a capture element from a plurality of capture elements and a cell of the at least 10⁵ cells, the capture element comprising single-stranded DNA and comprising a unique molecular identifier, a barcode, and a sequencing primer; (e) Lysing at least a portion of the at least 10⁵ cells subdivided in (d), thereby releasing mRNA molecules from at least that portion of the at least 10⁵ cells subdivided in (d);and (f) capturing at least a subset of the mRNA molecules using at least a subset of the plurality of capture elements, thereby obtaining captured mRNA molecules, wherein the capture comprises the attachment of poly(A) sequences of the mRNA molecules or the subset of the mRNA molecules to poly(T) sequences of the plurality of capture elements or the subset of the plurality of capture elements.