| Property | Method | Devices | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Size |
NTA, DLS, (TRPS), AFM |
NanoSight, ZetaView, Exoid, Malvern Zetasizer |
NTA and TRPS offer higher resolution compared to DLS |
|
Shape and Morphology |
TEM, Cryo-TEM, AFM |
JEM-2100, Tecnai, Bruker Dimension |
Direct imaging with high resolution |
|
Colloidal Stability |
Zeta Potential, DLS |
Malvern Zetasizer, ZetaView |
Surface charge measurement for colloidal stability |
|
Protein Content |
MS, Western Blot, Flow Cytometry |
Q Exactive, CyTOF, BD FACSymphony |
Allows protein identification within EVs |
|
Lipid Content |
LC-MS, HPLC |
Agilent LC-MS, Waters Acquity |
Analysis of specific lipid profiles within EVs |
|
RNA Content |
RNA-Seq, qPCR, NanoString |
Illumina, Bio-Rad, NanoString nCounter |
miRNA, mRNA, and circRNA detection |
|
Metabolite Content |
NMR, LC-MS, GC-MS |
Bruker, Agilent, Thermo |
Identification of small metabolites |
|
Particle Concentration |
NTA, (TRPS), Flow Cytometry |
NanoSight, Exoid, BD FACSCanto |
Single-particle precision |
|
Particle Distribution |
(Analytical Ultracentrifugation), Flow Cytometry |
Beckman Coulter Optima AUC |
Separation based on particle size and shape |
| Bioactivity |
Flow Cytometry |
BD FACSymphony, IncuCyte |
Assessing EV effects on live cells |
|
Cellular Interactions |
Fluorescence Microscopy, Flow Cytometry |
Zeiss LSM, BD LSRFortessa |
Tracking EV uptake by cells |
|
Molecular Delivery |
Labeling and Tracking, Live-Cell Imaging |
IncuCyte, Leica SP8 |
Tracking EVs in live cells |
|
Surface Charge |
Zeta Potential |
Malvern Zetasizer, ZetaView |
Colloidal stability assessment |
|
Mechanical Stiffness |
AFM, Optical Tweezers |
Bruker, JPK NanoWizard |
Measurement of EV membrane stiffness |
|
Viscosity |
Rheometry, DLS |
Malvern Kinexus |
Suitable for concentrated samples |
|
High-Resolution Imaging |
TEM, Cryo-TEM, AFM |
Tecnai, JEM-2100, Bruker Dimension |
High-resolution direct imaging |
|
3D Imaging |
FIB-SEM, Confocal Microscopy |
Zeiss Crossbeam, Leica TCS SP8 |
3D structural imaging |
|
Single Particle Analysis |
(TRPS), NTA |
qNan, ZetaView, NanoSight |
High-throughput single particle tracking |