Single-cell proteomics (SCP) is an emerging field that uses mass spectrometry to measure thousands of proteins in individual cells. Unlike single-cell transcriptomics, which reflects potential activity, SCP reveals the actual molecules driving cell function, signalling, and disease mechanisms. This makes it a powerful complement for precision medicine, helping researchers identify rare pathogenic cells, track drug responses at single-cell resolution, and uncover new therapeutic targets.

The recent leap in mass spectrometry (MS) sensitivity, driven by nanoscale liquid chromatography MS (LC-MS/MS), has made SCP feasible for the first time. This unlocked applications in cancer biology, immunology, and neuroscience. But proteins are less abundant than nucleic acids and, unlike those, cannot be “amplified”: sample preparation remains the critical bottleneck. Without robust, low-loss methods, sensitivity and reproducibility suffer. Reliable single cell proteomics preparation workflows are therefore essential to fully realize the promise of SCP and to transform protein-level insights into meaningful biological discoveries.