text: user2875: Do any methods exist (or are in the process of development) for investigating transcript data without lysing the cells, i.e, destroying the sample?
  
  user2085: Answer:
  There are no methods that exist for investigating transcript data inside a cell without destroying the cell. Separating RNA from cells requires essentially destroying the cells and using a chemical cocktail to split its constituent components.
  Alternative 1: One option is to investigate extracellular transcripts of living cells is to centrifuge cells in culture and isolating RNA from the growth media supernatant [1]. Cell-free DNA and cell-free RNA are hot topics in contemporary biology and bioinformatics as a potential source for disease biomarkers. [2]
  Alternative 2: Another option to monitor a transcript from a living cell is to use a transgenic construct with a reporter molecule like luciferase or a fluorescent protein to produce light or become fluorescent when a promotor is activated [3, 4]. This does not directly measure transcript quantity but answers a similar question: how does transcription change in a living cell?
  Sources:
  [1] Théry, C., Amigorena, S., Raposo, G., & Clayton, A. (2006). Isolation and characterization of exosomes from cell culture supernatants and biological fluids. Current protocols in cell biology, 30(1), 3-22.
  [2] Yu, X. M., Wu, Y. C., Liu, X., Huang, X. C., Hou, X. X., Wang, J. L., ... & Ling, Z. Q. (2016). Cell-Free RNA content in peripheral blood as potential biomarkers for detecting circulating tumor cells in non-small cell lung carcinoma. International journal of molecular sciences, 17(11), 1845.
  [3] Kaskova, Z. M., Tsarkova, A. S., & Yampolsky, I. V. (2016). 1001 lights: luciferins, luciferases, their mechanisms of action and applications in chemical analysis, biology and medicine. Chemical Society Reviews, 45(21), 6048-6077.
  [4] Rao, J., Dragulescu-Andrasi, A., & Yao, H. (2007). Fluorescence imaging in vivo: recent advances. Current opinion in biotechnology, 18(1), 17-25.
  
original_text: 2875: <p>Do any methods exist (or are in the process of development) for investigating transcript data without lysing the cells, i.e, destroying the sample?</p>
   2085: <p><strong>Answer:</strong>
  There are no methods that exist for investigating transcript data inside a cell without destroying the cell. Separating RNA from cells requires essentially destroying the cells and using a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trizol" rel="nofollow noreferrer">chemical cocktail</a> to split its constituent components.</p>
  
  <p><strong>Alternative 1:</strong> One option is to investigate extracellular transcripts of living cells is to centrifuge cells in culture and isolating RNA from the growth media supernatant <a href="https://currentprotocols.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/0471143030.cb0322s30%4010.1002/%28ISSN%291934-2616.SubcellularFractionationandIsolationofOrganelles" rel="nofollow noreferrer">[1]</a>. Cell-free DNA and cell-free RNA are hot topics in contemporary biology and bioinformatics as a potential source for disease biomarkers. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5133845/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">[2]</a></p>
  
  <p><strong>Alternative 2:</strong> Another option to monitor a transcript from a living cell is to use a transgenic construct with a reporter molecule like <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luciferase" rel="nofollow noreferrer">luciferase</a> or a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_fluorescent_protein" rel="nofollow noreferrer">fluorescent protein</a> to produce light or become fluorescent when a promotor is activated [<a href="https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2016/cs/c6cs00296j/unauth#!divAbstract" rel="nofollow noreferrer">3</a>, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0958166907000043" rel="nofollow noreferrer">4</a>]. This does not directly measure transcript quantity but answers a similar question: how does transcription change in a living cell?</p>
  
  <p>Sources:</p>
  
  <p><a href="https://currentprotocols.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/0471143030.cb0322s30%4010.1002/%28ISSN%291934-2616.SubcellularFractionationandIsolationofOrganelles" rel="nofollow noreferrer">[1] Théry, C., Amigorena, S., Raposo, G., &amp; Clayton, A. (2006). Isolation and characterization of exosomes from cell culture supernatants and biological fluids. Current protocols in cell biology, 30(1), 3-22.</a></p>
  
  <p><a href="https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/17/11/1845" rel="nofollow noreferrer">[2] Yu, X. M., Wu, Y. C., Liu, X., Huang, X. C., Hou, X. X., Wang, J. L., ... &amp; Ling, Z. Q. (2016). Cell-Free RNA content in peripheral blood as potential biomarkers for detecting circulating tumor cells in non-small cell lung carcinoma. International journal of molecular sciences, 17(11), 1845.</a></p>
  
  <p><a href="https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2016/cs/c6cs00296j/unauth#!divAbstract" rel="nofollow noreferrer">[3] Kaskova, Z. M., Tsarkova, A. S., &amp; Yampolsky, I. V. (2016). 1001 lights: luciferins, luciferases, their mechanisms of action and applications in chemical analysis, biology and medicine. Chemical Society Reviews, 45(21), 6048-6077.</a></p>
  
  <p><a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0958166907000043" rel="nofollow noreferrer">[4] Rao, J., Dragulescu-Andrasi, A., &amp; Yao, H. (2007). Fluorescence imaging in vivo: recent advances. Current opinion in biotechnology, 18(1), 17-25.</a></p>
  