The present invention relates to a method for rapidly detecting copies of at least one RNA molecule expressed in individual cells and uses thereof.

Methods of profiling the nucleic acid composition of single cells and tools for same. The methods can include isolating a single cell in a liquid droplet, lysing the single cell in the liquid droplet to release template nucleic acid from the cell, amplifying the template nucleic acid in the liquid droplet to generate amplified nucleic acid, and detecting the amplified nucleic acid in the liquid droplet. The methods can be useful for profiling expression patterns and/or detecting genetic characteristics such as single nucleotide polymorphisms. The tools include nucleic acid logic gates, including polymerase-dependent logic gates. The logic gates can perform logical operations such as YES, NOT, AND, OR, AND-NOT, NOT-AND, NOT-OR, EXCLUSIVE-OR, EXCLUSIVE-NOR, and IMPLY. The tools also include microfluidic systems for performing the methods.

Methods of profiling the nucleic acid composition of single cells and tools for same. The methods can include isolating a single cell in a liquid droplet, lysing the single cell in the liquid droplet to release template nucleic acid from the cell, amplifying the template nucleic acid in the liquid droplet to generate amplified nucleic acid, and detecting the amplified nucleic acid in the liquid droplet. The methods can be useful for profiling expression patterns and/or detecting genetic characteristics such as single nucleotide polymorphisms. The tools include nucleic acid logic gates, including polymerase-dependent logic gates. The logic gates can perform logical operations such as YES, NOT, AND, OR, AND-NOT, NOT-AND, NOT-OR, EXCLUSIVE-OR, EXCLUSIVE-NOR, and IMPLY. The tools also include microfluidic systems for performing the methods.

Sub-millimeter scale three-dimensional (3D) structures are disclosed with customizable chemical properties and/or functionality. The 3D structures are referred to as drop-carrier particles. The drop-carrier particles allow the selective association of one solution (i.e., a dispersed phased) with an interior portion of each of the drop-carrier particles, while a second non-miscible solution (i.e., a continuous phase) associates with an exterior portion of each of the drop-carrier particles due to the specific chemical and/or physical properties of the interior and exterior regions of the drop-carrier particles. The combined drop-carrier particle with the dispersed phase contained therein is referred to as a particle-drop. The selective association results in compartmentalization of the dispersed phase solution into sub-microliter-sized volumes contained in the drop-carrier particles. The compartmentalized volumes can be used for single-molecule assays as well as single-cell, and other single-entity assays.

Sub-millimeter scale three-dimensional (3D) structures are disclosed with customizable chemical properties and/or functionality. The 3D structures are referred to as drop-carrier particles. The drop-carrier particles allow the selective association of one solution (i.e., a dispersed phased) with an interior portion of each of the drop-carrier particles, while a second non-miscible solution (i.e., a continuous phase) associates with an exterior portion of each of the drop-carrier particles due to the specific chemical and/or physical properties of the interior and exterior regions of the drop-carrier particles. The combined drop-carrier particle with the dispersed phase contained therein is referred to as a particle-drop. The selective association results in compartmentalization of the dispersed phase solution into sub-microliter-sized volumes contained in the drop-carrier particles. The compartmentalized volumes can be used for single-molecule assays as well as single-cell, and other single-entity assays.

The present invention relates to an ultrasensitive assay platform for the detection of nucleic acids such as microRNAs (miRNAs), which are important biomarker for diseases including cancer. The platform allows high throughput detection of multiple nucleic acid sequences miRNAs on the single-molecule level using fluorescence labeling, molecular barcoding, and flow based detection and multiparametric data analysis.

Provided is a chemically modified phage display platform and method of use thereof. More specifically, the present disclosure provides a chemically modified phage display library that incorporates 2-acetylphenylboronic acid (APBA) moieties to elicit dynamic covalent binding to the bacterial cell surface. The APBA-modified phage display libraries described herein are applicable to a wide array of bacterial strains and/or mammalian cells, paving the way to facile diagnosis and development of strain-specific antibiotics, and/or peptide-antibiotic conjugates for effective and targeted treatment. Also provided are therapeutic peptides, and pharmaceutical compositions thereof, that are identified by screening the phage display library of the present disclosure, and method of use of such therapeutic peptides for effective and targeted treatment.

Provided is a chemically modified phage display platform and method of use thereof. More specifically, the present disclosure provides a chemically modified phage display library that incorporates 2-acetylphenylboronic acid (APBA) moieties to elicit dynamic covalent binding to the bacterial cell surface. The APBA-modified phage display libraries described herein are applicable to a wide array of bacterial strains and/or mammalian cells, paving the way to facile diagnosis and development of strain-specific antibiotics, and/or peptide-antibiotic conjugates for effective and targeted treatment. Also provided are therapeutic peptides, and pharmaceutical compositions thereof, that are identified by screening the phage display library of the present disclosure, and method of use of such therapeutic peptides for effective and targeted treatment.

Provided herein are compositions and methods for identifying and using stem cell regulation factors. For example, in some embodiments, provided herein are compositions and methods for identifying stem cell regulation factors using marker gene expression libraries. Also provided herein are compositions and methods for generating differentiated cells lines and uses of such cell lines.

Provided herein are compositions and methods for identifying and using stem cell regulation factors. For example, in some embodiments, provided herein are compositions and methods for identifying stem cell regulation factors using marker gene expression libraries. Also provided herein are compositions and methods for generating differentiated cells lines and uses of such cell lines.