title: A software-programmable microfluidic device for automated biology.
abstract: Specific-purpose microfluidic devices have had considerable impact on the biological and chemical sciences, yet their use has largely remained limited to specialized laboratories. Here we present a general-purpose software-programmable microfluidic device which is capable of performing a multitude of low- and high-level functions without requiring any hardware modifications. To demonstrate the applicability and modularity of the device we implemented a variety of applications such as a microfluidic display, fluid metering and active mixing, surface immunoassays, and cell culture. We believe that analogously to personal computers, programmable, general-purpose devices will increase the accessibility and advance the pervasiveness of microfluidic technology.
authors.affiliation: School of Engineering, Institute of Bioengineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Luis M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Fidalgo
authors.forename: Sebastian J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Maerkl
mesh_terms: D001331:Automation / Q000295:instrumentation*; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation; D004867:Equipment Design; D007118:Immunoassay / Q000295:instrumentation; D046210:Microfluidic Analytical Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D012984:Software; D015003:Yeasts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology