Abstract

Drop-based microfluidics for diagnostics research

David Weitz, Professor, Harvard University

This talk will describe the use of aqueous drops, immersed in an inert carrier oil and manipulated with microfluidic devices, to perform a large number of distinct experiments. Each drop has a typical volume of a few picoliters which results in an increased signal to noise ratio of any assay performed in the drop due to the decrease in the noise level because of the small volume. The drops can be used to encapsulate single cells, which can be probed using either fluorescence assays or using second generation sequencing. The application of droplet microfluidics to a variety of studies related to diagnostics will be described.