Microfluidics
Micro total analysis system (mTAS), a.k.a. lab-on-a-chip, integrates a variety of lab components on a chip as small as one inch square in area (see right for an actual PDMS device). In a typical lab-on-a-chip scheme, chemicals can be synthesized, purified and analyzed on a single chip made by lithography. The technique is indispensable in the emerging fields such as genomics and proteomics, where huge sets of data are collected and analyzed, click here for a setup used in our lab. It is also very useful in the screening processes to identify promising drug leads or optimal conditions for crystallization. The low cost and high-throughput capability make this technique ideal for sensor development. Combining with laser tweezers, our lab is interested in the methodology development and bioanalytical application of this technique, for example in the fields of ultra sensitive sensors and screening methods.
