The Blainey Lab developed a method for measuring a cell’s transcriptome without killing it, as current methods do. The technique, described in Cell, induces cultured cells to export mRNA via virus-like-particles. Researchers can repeatedly sample the culture medium over time to track changes in gene expression. The team has collaborated with the Griffith lab by collecting perfused media samples to apply their method to organ-on-a-chip devices, reducing the number of microfluidic platforms required for the experiment from 21 to three.