Raman Activated Cell Ejection for Isolation of Single Cells

We have optimized a Raman microscope to obtain a single cell Raman spectrum (SCRS) with 0.1 s acquisition time. SCRS with such short acquisition time has sufficient discriminatory ability and spectral reproducibility to differentiate cells incorporated with 13C and 15N and to classify five different types of bacteria isolated from the oral cavity. We also developed Raman activated cell ejection (RACE) that is assisted by laser induced forward transfer (LIFT). We have shown, for the first time, that the single cells of interest can be identified and then accurately isolated from complex microbial communities based on their SCRS. This approach can be used to sort single cells of target traits from complex samples (e.g., biofilms, soils, sludge, tissues).