High-Throughput Microfluidic Single-Cell Genomic Profiling for Population-Specific Diabetes Predisposition Analysis in Saudi Arabia

Fatimah Alnakhli; Amjad Alsehli; Fatimah Yousef Alhamad; Amerah Alenazi; Lulwa Alibrahim; Raghad Aloraini; Ghala Alromaih; Abdulrahman Alahmari; Mostafa Alhodibi; Faisal M. Alsaawi; Mohammad Saleh Bawazir; Joud Alangari

doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1765589271

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Original Article
Online Published: 18 Jan 2026

IJMDC. 2026; 10(1): 148-154

doi: 10.24911/IJMDC.51-1765589271

High-throughput microfluidic single-cell genomic profiling for population-specific diabetes predisposition analysis in Saudi Arabia

Fatimah Ali Alnakhli, Amjad Jameel Alsehli, Fatimah Yousef Alhamad, Amerah Fahad Alenazi, Lulwa Watheq Alibrahim, Raghad Abdulrahman Aloraini, Ghala Ali Alromaih, Abdulrahman Ali Alahmari, Joud Alangari, Faisal M. Alsaawi, Mohammad Saleh Bawazir, Mostafa Habeeb Alhodibi.

Abstract
Background: Diabetes prevalence in Saudi Arabia is rising rapidly, yet population-specific genetic predispositions remain poorly characterized due to limitations in current bulk-genomic and single-cell profiling techniques. Conventional methods often fail to capture cellular heterogeneity and lack scalability for extensive cohort studies. This study aims to develop a high-throughput microfluidic single-cell genomic profiling platform specifically designed to investigate diabetes-related genetic predisposition in the Saudi Arabian population.
Methods: We developed a high-throughput microfluidic platform for single-cell genomic profiling tailored to diabetes research in Saudi Arabian populations. The system combines magnetic ionic liquid-based cell lysis, centrifugal microfluidics for parallel single-cell partitioning, and on-chip next-generation sequencing (NGS). Optimized hydrodynamic trapping ensures >95% single-cell occupancy. Targeted amplification of diabetes-associated genes is performed on-chip directly, while integrated graphene oxide-based sensors provide real-time amplicon detection. Genetic data are integrated with electronic health records (EHRs) using an attention-based fusion model, allowing combined analysis of clinical and genomic features. Graph-based clustering of the resulting single-cell profiles identifies genetic subpopulations with distinct diabetes pathways.
Results: The platform successfully identified rare genetic subtypes, including those with isolated β-cell dysfunction and insulin resistance phenotypes. Real-time detection reduced sequencing turnaround time by 40%, and the integrated fusion model enabled accurate stratification of patient risk scores when combined with EHR-derived clinical data. The system demonstrated seamless interoperability with national health databases and showed high reproducibility across multiple sample batches.
Conclusion: This microfluidic platform enables scalable, automated, and high-resolution single-cell genomic analysis of diabetes-related variants in underrepresented populations. By capturing population-specific genetic heterogeneity, the framework supports personalized risk assessment and informs precision medicine strategies in Saudi Arabia and beyond.

Key words: High-throughput microfluidics, Single-cell genomics, Diabetes predisposition, Population-specific genetics, Saudi Arabia, Magnetic ionic liquid lysis, Centrifugal microfluidics, On-chip NGS, Graphene oxide sensors, Genetic heterogeneity, β-cell.

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Pubmed Style

Alnakhli FA, Alsehli AJ, Alhamad FY, Alenazi AF, Alibrahim LW, Aloraini RA, Alromaih GA, Alahmari AA, Alangari J, Alsaawi FM, Bawazir MS, Alhodibi MH. High-throughput microfluidic single-cell genomic profiling for population-specific diabetes predisposition analysis in Saudi Arabia. IJMDC. 2026; 10(1): 148-154. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1765589271

Web Style

Alnakhli FA, Alsehli AJ, Alhamad FY, Alenazi AF, Alibrahim LW, Aloraini RA, Alromaih GA, Alahmari AA, Alangari J, Alsaawi FM, Bawazir MS, Alhodibi MH. High-throughput microfluidic single-cell genomic profiling for population-specific diabetes predisposition analysis in Saudi Arabia. https://www.ijmdc.com/?mno=303044 [Access: January 25, 2026]. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1765589271

AMA (American Medical Association) Style

Alnakhli FA, Alsehli AJ, Alhamad FY, Alenazi AF, Alibrahim LW, Aloraini RA, Alromaih GA, Alahmari AA, Alangari J, Alsaawi FM, Bawazir MS, Alhodibi MH. High-throughput microfluidic single-cell genomic profiling for population-specific diabetes predisposition analysis in Saudi Arabia. IJMDC. 2026; 10(1): 148-154. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1765589271

Vancouver/ICMJE Style

Alnakhli FA, Alsehli AJ, Alhamad FY, Alenazi AF, Alibrahim LW, Aloraini RA, Alromaih GA, Alahmari AA, Alangari J, Alsaawi FM, Bawazir MS, Alhodibi MH. High-throughput microfluidic single-cell genomic profiling for population-specific diabetes predisposition analysis in Saudi Arabia. IJMDC. (2026), [cited January 25, 2026]; 10(1): 148-154. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1765589271

Harvard Style

Alnakhli, F. A., Alsehli, . A. J., Alhamad, . F. Y., Alenazi, . A. F., Alibrahim, . L. W., Aloraini, . R. A., Alromaih, . G. A., Alahmari, . A. A., Alangari, . J., Alsaawi, . F. M., Bawazir, . M. S. & Alhodibi, . M. H. (2026) High-throughput microfluidic single-cell genomic profiling for population-specific diabetes predisposition analysis in Saudi Arabia. IJMDC, 10 (1), 148-154. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1765589271

Turabian Style

Alnakhli, Fatimah Ali, Amjad Jameel Alsehli, Fatimah Yousef Alhamad, Amerah Fahad Alenazi, Lulwa Watheq Alibrahim, Raghad Abdulrahman Aloraini, Ghala Ali Alromaih, Abdulrahman Ali Alahmari, Joud Alangari, Faisal M. Alsaawi, Mohammad Saleh Bawazir, and Mostafa Habeeb Alhodibi. 2026. High-throughput microfluidic single-cell genomic profiling for population-specific diabetes predisposition analysis in Saudi Arabia. International Journal of Medicine in Developing Countries, 10 (1), 148-154. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1765589271

Chicago Style

Alnakhli, Fatimah Ali, Amjad Jameel Alsehli, Fatimah Yousef Alhamad, Amerah Fahad Alenazi, Lulwa Watheq Alibrahim, Raghad Abdulrahman Aloraini, Ghala Ali Alromaih, Abdulrahman Ali Alahmari, Joud Alangari, Faisal M. Alsaawi, Mohammad Saleh Bawazir, and Mostafa Habeeb Alhodibi. "High-throughput microfluidic single-cell genomic profiling for population-specific diabetes predisposition analysis in Saudi Arabia." International Journal of Medicine in Developing Countries 10 (2026), 148-154. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1765589271

MLA (The Modern Language Association) Style

Alnakhli, Fatimah Ali, Amjad Jameel Alsehli, Fatimah Yousef Alhamad, Amerah Fahad Alenazi, Lulwa Watheq Alibrahim, Raghad Abdulrahman Aloraini, Ghala Ali Alromaih, Abdulrahman Ali Alahmari, Joud Alangari, Faisal M. Alsaawi, Mohammad Saleh Bawazir, and Mostafa Habeeb Alhodibi. "High-throughput microfluidic single-cell genomic profiling for population-specific diabetes predisposition analysis in Saudi Arabia." International Journal of Medicine in Developing Countries 10.1 (2026), 148-154. Print. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1765589271

APA (American Psychological Association) Style

Alnakhli, F. A., Alsehli, . A. J., Alhamad, . F. Y., Alenazi, . A. F., Alibrahim, . L. W., Aloraini, . R. A., Alromaih, . G. A., Alahmari, . A. A., Alangari, . J., Alsaawi, . F. M., Bawazir, . M. S. & Alhodibi, . M. H. (2026) High-throughput microfluidic single-cell genomic profiling for population-specific diabetes predisposition analysis in Saudi Arabia. International Journal of Medicine in Developing Countries, 10 (1), 148-154. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1765589271

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