A team led by Visiting Professor Linas Mazutis at Umeå University has developed a capsule-based method that allows scientists to examine the same single cell through several experimental steps. Published in Science, the work addresses a persistent challenge in cellular research—the inability to conduct multiple analyses on one cell. Traditionally, once a cell was tested, it could not be re‑examined, limiting insight into how individual cells adapt or respond to their environment.
“All cells are different, and understanding those differences is key to understanding disease,” explains Mazutis. The team’s new approach, called semi‑permeable capsule technology, makes it possible to revisit the same cell repeatedly while preserving its genetic material. Each microscopic capsule contains a single cell enclosed by a thin, porous membrane that permits small molecules—like enzymes or chemical reagents—to pass through but retains larger components such as DNA and RNA inside.
This design enables scientists to process and analyze hundreds of thousands of cells simultaneously using standard laboratory equipment. Unlike previous droplet-based techniques, the capsule system allows cells to be treated and re‑examined multiple times without cross‑contamination or sample loss. Mazutis notes that “the capsules combine the speed of microfluidics—a technology that works with extremely small liquid volumes—with the flexibility of traditional laboratory workflows.” This compatibility means researchers can perform complex molecular analyses step by step while ensuring each cell’s genetic content remains secure and traceable.
Beyond technical flexibility, the method also preserves cell viability for extended periods within the capsules. Cells can remain intact for further study or be broken down later for detailed genetic analysis. The researchers have also demonstrated a new RNA sequencing process that helps identify rare or fragile cell types that often disappear in conventional single‑cell studies.
According to the research team, the system’s simplicity and scalability make it accessible for a wide range of experiments in biological and medical science. By offering repeated access to the same cells, the method opens opportunities to explore how diseases develop and how individual cells within the same tissue behave differently. For instance, scientists may use these capsules to examine how cancer cells within one tumor vary in their drug responses or to detect rare immune cells that influence disease but have remained undetected with older methods.
Publication details: Denis Baronas et al., High-throughput single cell omics using semipermeable capsules.Science0,eady7227 DOI:10.1126/science.ady7227
“All cells are different, and understanding those differences is key to understanding disease,” explains Mazutis. The team’s new approach, called semi‑permeable capsule technology, makes it possible to revisit the same cell repeatedly while preserving its genetic material. Each microscopic capsule contains a single cell enclosed by a thin, porous membrane that permits small molecules—like enzymes or chemical reagents—to pass through but retains larger components such as DNA and RNA inside.
This design enables scientists to process and analyze hundreds of thousands of cells simultaneously using standard laboratory equipment. Unlike previous droplet-based techniques, the capsule system allows cells to be treated and re‑examined multiple times without cross‑contamination or sample loss. Mazutis notes that “the capsules combine the speed of microfluidics—a technology that works with extremely small liquid volumes—with the flexibility of traditional laboratory workflows.” This compatibility means researchers can perform complex molecular analyses step by step while ensuring each cell’s genetic content remains secure and traceable.
Beyond technical flexibility, the method also preserves cell viability for extended periods within the capsules. Cells can remain intact for further study or be broken down later for detailed genetic analysis. The researchers have also demonstrated a new RNA sequencing process that helps identify rare or fragile cell types that often disappear in conventional single‑cell studies.
According to the research team, the system’s simplicity and scalability make it accessible for a wide range of experiments in biological and medical science. By offering repeated access to the same cells, the method opens opportunities to explore how diseases develop and how individual cells within the same tissue behave differently. For instance, scientists may use these capsules to examine how cancer cells within one tumor vary in their drug responses or to detect rare immune cells that influence disease but have remained undetected with older methods.
Publication details: Denis Baronas et al., High-throughput single cell omics using semipermeable capsules.Science0,eady7227 DOI:10.1126/science.ady7227