Using microfluidic devices to sort stem cells

Biologists currently culture and analyze stem cells as free-floating clusters, which contain an unknown mixture of stem cells and different populations of progenitor cells. Cells in the interior of the cluster often go unnoticed if they start differentiating prematurely, losing their "stemness." Researchers have long looked for ways to safely isolate single stem cells from these clusters. By transporting stem cell clusters through a micro-scale, spiral-shaped device, researchers have now found they can safely isolate single stem cells.

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