The present disclosure provides a system and method for identifying and targeting individual cells within a cell population for selective extraction of cellular content and a digital microfluidic device having at least one hydrophilic site for receiving cells, an imaging system including a stage for receiving the digital microfluidic device and an imaging module for identifying at least one targeted cell among the cells at the at least one hydrophilic site. The system includes a pulsed laser source for laser lysing the targeted cell thereby releasing the cell content to produce a lysate. A control system controls the pulsed laser source, the imaging system and the digital microfluidic device and is programmed for coordinating steps of i) movement of droplets on the digital microfluidic device, ii) selection of the at least one targeted cell to be lysed located at the at least one hydrophilic site, iii) illumination of the at least one selected targeted cell by the pulsed laser source to lyse the at least one selected targeted cell to produce lysate, and iv) collection of the lysate.