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Droplet-Based Microfluidics as a Biomimetic Principle: From PCR-Based Virus Diagnostics to a General Concept for Handling of Biomolecular Information

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Book cover Microdroplet Technology

Part of the book series: Integrated Analytical Systems ((ANASYS))

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Abstract

The micro fluid segment technique is particular suited for the handling and characterization of cells and biomolecules in a micro system environment. The continuous-flow PCR is a typical example for the use of these advantages. It can be applied, for example, for the proof of the expression of genes of virulent viruses from infected human cells. This was shown by the detection of transcripts of HPV and measles viruses. Beside the PCR-based diagnostics, the fluid segment technique has the potential of a general answer to the challenges of information extraction from cellular and biomolecular systems. Hierarchical structured and ordered liquid phases can be generated by micro fluidic techniques. They allow the addressing and separate handling of single cells, small ensembles of molecules or even single molecules and could also become a powerful instrument for information conversion at the molecular level and for the automated construction of molecular architectures with high variability.

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Acknowledgment

I am very grateful for cooperation and for any support by A. Groß, M. Günther, S. Schneider, T. Henkel, M. Kielpinski, J. Metze and A. Grodrian in segmented flow technique in general, in microfluidic virus diagnostics by R. Hartung, G. Sczcepankiewicz and N. Häfner. The financial support of the federal ministry for education and research (BMBF, 16SV-3701) and the state of Thuringia (project Zellex) is gratefully acknowledged.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut für Mikro- und Nanotechnologien/Institut für Chemie und Biotechnik, Technische Universität Ilmenau, PF 10 05 65, D-98684, Ilmenau, Germany

    J. Michael Köhler

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  1. J. Michael Köhler
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Correspondence to J. Michael Köhler .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. , Manchester Instit. of Biotechnology, University of Manchester, 131 Princess Street, Manchester, M1 7ND, United Kingdom

    Philip Day

  2. KIST Europe, Saarbrucken, Germany

    Andreas Manz

  3. Dept. Mechan. & Aerospace Eng., University of Strathclyde, 75 Montrose Street, Glasgow, G1 1XJ, United Kingdom

    Yonghao Zhang

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Köhler, J.M. (2012). Droplet-Based Microfluidics as a Biomimetic Principle: From PCR-Based Virus Diagnostics to a General Concept for Handling of Biomolecular Information. In: Day, P., Manz, A., Zhang, Y. (eds) Microdroplet Technology. Integrated Analytical Systems. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-3265-4_7

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