| abstract |
The present invention provides, as a technology for encapsulating, in a tiny volume of liquid droplet, a to-be-detected substance such as nucleic acid, protein, virus, or cell by means of a simple operation so as to enable highly sensitive detection, a method for detecting a microscopic substance housed in a plurality of receptacles that are formed apart from each other, the method comprising (1) a step for introducing a solvent containing the microscopic substance into a space formed between a lower layer part where the receptacles are formed and an upper layer part which faces the surface in which the receptacles are formed in the lower layer part, (2) a step for forming droplets of the solvent containing the microscopic substance within the receptacles by introducing gas into said space, and (3) a step for detecting the microscopic substance present in the liquid droplets by an optical, electrical, and/or magnetic means. |