Microfluidics is the science of studying and manipulating small volumes of fluid, and it's an incredibly versatile tool for research and development. This guide will explain the most important information about using this research method, covering both its current uses and its potential future.
1. Life Sciences
There are many ways you can use microfluidics technology in the life sciences and health care industries. Here are two of the most common applications.
Lab-on-a-Chip
Laboratory-on-a-chip technology lets scientists combine all the core functions of a full-size lab into a single microfluidic chip.
Some common use cases for lab-on-a-chip microfluidics include:
- Immobilizing microorganisms: Studying model organisms has enabled scientists to make groundbreaking discoveries about the human body, and microfluidics has played a key role in this breakthrough. Researchers can use various methods via a lab-on-a-chip to immobilize a live sample for observation, such as administering anesthetics or using physical immobilization techniques.
- Cell cultures: Polymers like polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and polystyrene (PS) are gas permeable materials commonly used in microfluidics, and they're excellent materials for studying live cell cultures over time.
- pH monitoring: Monitoring and controlling pH levels with a microfluidics solid-state sensor is an important part of observing cell cultures, especially when observing an organism's response to certain drugs in real time.
Point-of-Care Testing
True point-of-care (POC) testing is rapid and highly sensitive, producing accurate results in real time rather than collecting samples and sending them to a lab for testing.
Microfluidics equipment is highly portable and resource-efficient, making it a great choice for:
- HIV diagnoses
- Viral detection
- Pregnancy tests
- Glucose biosensors
- Drug abuse screening
Microfluidics chips use significantly less of a sample than traditional testing methods, which can help providers avoid having to take another sample from the patient if test results are unclear.
Plus, paper microfluidics chips are both cost-effective and disposable, ensuring sterility in health care settings and reducing equipment costs for the organization.
2. Drug Discovery and Development
Since its inception, microfluidics has played a large role in designing and fine-tuning substances to treat diseases and other conditions. Some examples of these applications include the following.
Microfluidic Drug Delivery Systems
Microfluidics enables unparalleled precision in drug administration, giving researchers a closer look at the drug delivery path than many other methods.
Because microfluidics minimizes sample consumption, researchers can reduce equipment costs for the lab and reduce their environmental impact. Plus, with minimal setup requirements, these chips enable researchers to focus on their experiments for more efficient testing.
Single-Cell Analysis
Droplet microfluidics enables researchers to isolate single cells in microscopic droplets of fluid, making it easier to study cell processes and characteristics than ever before.
That's why microfluidics has played a huge role in the evolution of single-cell analysis techniques in the fields of immunology and drug development, such as:
- Phenotypic antibody characterization: Microfluidic techniques enable researchers to overcome barriers in traditional bulk antibody screening by analyzing tiny assay volumes for the presence of desired antibodies.
- Immune signaling: One of the biggest challenges of immunology is studying various cell types that interact frequently and with increasing complexity. Microfluidics enables researchers to get a close, detailed view of every immune interaction they intend to study, which can lead to more breakthroughs.
- Genome analysis: By encapsulating single-celled organisms in water and oil droplets and a dye, researchers can detect and analyze a cell's unique DNA sequence in a process called single-copy genetic amplification (SCGA). This process allows researchers to better understand bacteria and other single-celled pathogens by identifying specific genes among each organism.
This research is essential for determining how to optimize drug delivery for the fastest and longest-lasting results. For example, it can help researchers decide whether sublingual or oral administration would work better for a specific medicine.
3. Research and Full-Scale Production Systems
We've discussed many of the possible applications for microfluidics in research labs, but this technology can also be useful in commercial settings. To manage this level of testing, developers must be able to build full-scale production systems that will accommodate companies' testing needs.
Full-Scale Production of Microfluidics
Microfluidics technology has the potential to quickly scale for commercial applications. However, it's important for companies to consider the following when doing so:
- Design for manufacturing (DFM): Designing microfluidics technology for easy, cost-effective manufacturing is essential for increasing production on a major scale. Breaking down each of the components in a tool and analyzing them for performance and cost efficiency is key for effective DFM.
- Fluid handling optimizations: Microfluidics requires precise sample collection and placement, and running experiments on a large scale can impact a researcher's ability to handle materials with the care and delicacy they need. Identifying potential optimizations can help you reduce risk for more accurate results.
- Packaging and sterilization: You already know sterility is one of the most important considerations for accurate experimentation and testing, which is why it's essential to consider how you will package your microfluidics tools before use.
The Future of Microfluidics
Microfluidics is still a developing field, and it will likely reveal many more effective applications over the next few decades. Some of the areas in which microfluidics is likely to play a prominent role in the future include:
- Precision medicine: Personalization is the name of the game across virtually every industry. Health care especially is not a one-size-fits-all solution, and microfluidics technology can enable providers to home in on the most effective treatments for specific patients.
- Accelerated vaccine development: The COVID-19 pandemic pushed the health care industry to get effective therapies and vaccines out faster than ever — and microfluidics can help improve rapid development by giving researchers precise control over their test subjects.
- Elimination of animal testing: By testing medicines and other drugs on organs-on-chips (in vitro models), researchers can reduce or even completely eliminate the need for testing on animal subjects.
- Whole genome analysis: While analyzing an organism's full DNA sequence at the single-cell level is still a challenge, further developments in microfluidics technology may streamline the process and enable researchers to gain full visibility of a microorganism's complete genome.
Where to Find Affordable Microfluidics Equipment
Microfluidics is an innovative laboratory technique for various purposes, but it requires the proper equipment to do it right. That's where we come in.
At New Life Scientific, we sell high-quality used and pre-owned lab instruments to help research organizations make important discoveries without breaking the bank. Our expansive catalog includes microfluidics tools and equipment like microfluidizers, interaction chambers and more. We back all our products with a 90-day warranty, so you can rest easy knowing your tools are of high quality.
If your lab needs reliable yet cost-effective microfluidics equipment, New Life Scientific is here to help. Contact us today to request a free quote.
