Reliable replicative lifespan determination of yeast with a single-channel microfluidic chip.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a powerful model for aging research due to its short lifespan and genetic malleability. Microfluidic devices offer an attractive approach enabling rapid monitoring of hundreds of cells during their entire replicative lifespan (RLS). Yet, key operational issues such as contaminations, cell loss, and cell-aggregates-dependent flow obstruction can hinder RLS experiments.