Single cell weighed for first time
Researchers hope the advancement will lead to new technologies
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Thursday, 26, Apr 2007 12:27
Scientists have measured the mass of a single cell for the first time, it has been reported today.
Researchers behind the advancement claim it could lead to improved technology for monitoring diseases such as Aids.
Cells from biological or environmental samples need to be calculated in fluid as they cannot survive in a vacuum, but the viscosity ("thickness") of liquids can prevent accurate measurements being made.
However, researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) managed to bypass this problem by creating a technique that allows cells to remain in fluid while they are being measured.
Writing in the Nature journal today, the researchers argue that the technique, based on a system known as a micromechanical detector, could help scientists to get a unique glimpse into how cells change as they undergo cell division.
Scott Manalis, senior author of the Nature paper, argues that the technique opens up a new realm of possible applications.
These include, he claims, being able to "weigh nanoparticles or sub-monolayers of biomolecules with a resolution in solution that is six orders of magnitude more sensitive than commercial mass sensor methods".
"One direction we're pursuing is mass-based flow cytometry, a way to weigh and count specific cells," he added.
Cytometers are often used to monitor CD4 immune cells in Aids patients. By counting these cells doctors can work out how far the disease has progressed.
Dr Manalis believes a tiny chip that could count cells using the new MIT technique weighing method would be a "cheap and robust" alternative to more expensive cytometers.
William Rodriguez, an Aids researcher at Massachusetts general hospital, said that the new technology could have a huge impact on Aids testing in rural areas of Africa and elsewhere.
"Simply put, a cheap, simple CD4 counting device that can be used by a community health worker would be a breakthrough advance in global health," he said.