Perspective: microfluidic applications in microbiology

The application of microfluidics technology to microbiology research is an excellent platform for the analysis of microorganisms and their nucleic acids. This technology combines engineering, physics, chemistry, biology and computing to control the devices. In this perspective we discuss how microfluidics can be applied to microbiological research and used in diagnostic applications. We also summarize advantages and limitations of this technology, as well as highlight some recent microbiological applications.