Microdroplets in microfluidics: an evolving platform for discoveries in chemistry and biology.
Microdroplets in microfluidics offer a great number of opportunities in chemical and biological research. They provide a compartment in which species or reactions can be isolated, they are monodisperse and therefore suitable for quantitative studies, they offer the possibility to work with extremely small volumes, single cells, or single molecules, and are suitable for high-throughput experiments. The aim of this Review is to show the importance of these features in enabling new experiments in biology and chemistry. The recent advances in device fabrication are highlighted as are the remaining technological challenges. Examples are presented to show how compartmentalization, monodispersity, single-molecule sensitivity, and high throughput have been exploited in experiments that would have been extremely difficult outside the microfluidics platform.
Theberge
Ashleigh B
AB
Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge, CB2 1EW UK.
Courtois
Fabienne
F
Schaerli
Yolanda
Y
Fischlechner
Martin
M
Abell
Chris
C
Hollfelder
Florian
F
Huck
Wilhelm T S
WT
D055664:Electrochemical Techniques; D005782:Gels / Q000737:chemistry; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D044085:Microfluidics / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry; D054852:Small Molecule Libraries / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence; D013059:Spectrum Analysis, Raman; D013501:Surface-Active Agents / Q000737:chemistry
D005782:Gels; D011108:Polymers; D054852:Small Molecule Libraries; D013501:Surface-Active Agents