Gel microdroplets in genetic analysis

摘要

The invention provides methods of nucleic acid analysis. Such methods entail forming a population of gel microdrops encapsulating a population of biological entities, each entity comprising a nucleic acid, whereby at least some microdrops in the population each encapsulate a single entity. The population of gel microdrops is then contacted with a probe under conditions whereby the probe specifically hybridizes to at least one complementary sequence in the nucleic acid in at least one gel microdrop. At least one gel microdrop is then analyzed or detected. The biological entities can be cells, viruses, nuclei and chromosomes.