Introduction
While single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) has become a widely used technique across many disciplines over the last decade, the high cost of sequencing, time-consuming cell preparation protocols, and extensive data analysis requirements have posed challenges to mainstream adoption.
One way to reduce the cost and save time is to isolate the cell type of interest before performing scRNA-seq. The challenge is that any upstream manipulation of the cells can lead to RNA degradation and perturbations in the transcriptome as well as the generation of cellular debris and/or dead cells which will negatively affect the quality of the transcriptomic data. Jet-in-air/droplet sorters expose the cells to harsh conditions, such as high pressure, long fluidic pathways, electrostatic charges, and lengthy processing times. While the MACS® Cell Separation Portfolio provides gentle, fast, and low parameter cell separation, the magnetic bead technology is not always sufficient for the isolation of specific cell types. This study demonstrates a multiparameter, fast, and gentle workflow for cell sorting with the MACSQuant® Tyto® Cell Sorter for downstream scRNA-seq.
Authors: Megan Ciarlo, Evelyn Rodriguez-Mesa, Rachel Barhouma, Vuong Tran, Archita Gadkari, and Joe Musmacker