About this Research Topic
The field of microfluidics has seen a major transformation from its first envisioned application as a chemical analysis system (as denoted by its first descriptive name Micro Total Analysis Systems or MicroTAS) to today’s Lab-on-a-Chip platforms where cells can be cultured in Organ on Chip constructs and automated genetic analysis of single cells are possible. The commercialization of Lab-on-a-Chip platforms for a widespread number of applications requires innovation in the design, fabrication and integration of the different components these devices are made of. Fabrication methods with quality control (QC), compatibility of materials for the specific application, scale up manufacturing approaches, integration of detection modes into microfluidic networks and Organ on Chips (OOC) platforms compatible with conventional cell culture technologies, are only a few of the areas this field needs to continue improving to further its path to becoming the technology of future.
The development of technological advances to drive the new wave of biomedical and biotechnology applications require innovations in all aspects of microfluidic systems and their corresponding testing approaches that will validate the functionality of the system (as well as their individual parts). For example, microfabrication technologies such as 3D printing bring new tools to the microfluidic fabrication toolkit allowing scale-up manufacturing while maintaining the ability of rapid prototyping. In the case of OOC, interoperability with laboratory equipment requires innovation in areas related to flow, size of device and Chip to world interface. All these new approaches will benefit from the development of testing protocols to provide quality control of the final products. The more testing methods are available in the literature, the more confidence there will be in this technology. More and more scientific journals are interested in providing their readers with information regarding the reproducibility of experiments, which translates in this field to reproducibility of device making as well as the reproducibility of the assays carried out with such devices.
The aim of this Research Topic is to bring to light the latest and innovative research in the field of microfluidics. Original Research, as well as Review articles, are of interest. The areas covered in this Research Topic may include, but are not to:
o Microfabrication technologies
- 3D printing
- Injection molding
- Hot embossing
o Testing protocols
- Biocompatibility
- Flow control
- Leak testing
o Interoperability
o Single-cell analysis
o Bioengineering/biomedical/biotechnology applications
- Organ on Chip
- Genetic analysis
- Drug discovery
- Preclinical testing
- Diagnostics
Dr. Holger Becker is the Co-Founder and CSO for Microfluidic ChipShop GmbH. Dr. Rodrigo Martinez-Duarte receives funding from Sekisui Diagnostics, LLC. All other Topic Editors declare no competing interests with regard to the Research Topic subject.
The development of technological advances to drive the new wave of biomedical and biotechnology applications require innovations in all aspects of microfluidic systems and their corresponding testing approaches that will validate the functionality of the system (as well as their individual parts). For example, microfabrication technologies such as 3D printing bring new tools to the microfluidic fabrication toolkit allowing scale-up manufacturing while maintaining the ability of rapid prototyping. In the case of OOC, interoperability with laboratory equipment requires innovation in areas related to flow, size of device and Chip to world interface. All these new approaches will benefit from the development of testing protocols to provide quality control of the final products. The more testing methods are available in the literature, the more confidence there will be in this technology. More and more scientific journals are interested in providing their readers with information regarding the reproducibility of experiments, which translates in this field to reproducibility of device making as well as the reproducibility of the assays carried out with such devices.
The aim of this Research Topic is to bring to light the latest and innovative research in the field of microfluidics. Original Research, as well as Review articles, are of interest. The areas covered in this Research Topic may include, but are not to:
o Microfabrication technologies
- 3D printing
- Injection molding
- Hot embossing
o Testing protocols
- Biocompatibility
- Flow control
- Leak testing
o Interoperability
o Single-cell analysis
o Bioengineering/biomedical/biotechnology applications
- Organ on Chip
- Genetic analysis
- Drug discovery
- Preclinical testing
- Diagnostics
Dr. Holger Becker is the Co-Founder and CSO for Microfluidic ChipShop GmbH. Dr. Rodrigo Martinez-Duarte receives funding from Sekisui Diagnostics, LLC. All other Topic Editors declare no competing interests with regard to the Research Topic subject.
Keywords: Microfluidics, Microfabrication, Biocompatability, Organ-on-Chip, Single Cell Analysis
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