Patent attributes
Methods of non-destructively obtaining the genotype of a plant cell from a plant sample are disclosed. The plant cell is isolated from a plant cell sample using an integrated microfluidic device. The integrated microfluidic device includes an individual cell trap located downstream from a microfluidic channel and, the microfluidic device is configured to trap the plant cell in the individual cell trap. mRNA is extracted from the plant cell by contacting the plant cell with an atomic force microscope (AFM) probe and by attracting mRNA from loci of interest to the probe end using a dielectrophoresis DEP force under the alternating current (AC) field applied to the probe. The genotype of the plant cell is determined from cDNA obtained from the extracted mRNA. Alternatively, the mRNA is analyzed to determine gene expression patterns of the plant cell.
