Precision mass measurements in solution reveal properties of single cells and bioparticles

Abstract

Precise characterization of biological materials ranging from single cells (~1-20 microns) to extracellular vesicles (20-200 nm) is of fundamental interest because of their biological and translational value. Here we discuss the value of precision mass measurements in solution for informing various physical and biological parameters, such as mass accumulation rate, longitudinal cell growth or cell density. We introduce how the limits of the single-particle mass measurements can be pushed down to nano-scale dimensions enabling the resolution of extracellular vesicles and viruses in solution. We believe with future advancements on the precision and throughput of this approach, the capability of analyzing biologically relevant particles in solution will have broad biological and translational impact.