Robotic and microfluidic systems for single cell injection

Abstract

Abstract The microinjection of materials into single biological cells is a widely used method in many biological applications. Limited by the micrometer size and fragile structure of a cell, conventional manual injection techniques do not meet the technical requirements of certain types of studies in terms of accuracy, precision, and efficiency. To this end, different robotic and microfluidic systems have been developed to assist or automate the process of single cell injection. These systems overcome the drawbacks of conventional manual techniques. In this chapter, we discuss existing robotic and microfluidic systems for single cell injection and the major microdevice and robotic techniques employed for developing these systems. In closing, the conclusion and outlook into future trends are provided.