Microfluidics in Biotechnology: Overview and Status Quo

Microfluidics has emerged as a powerful tool, enabling biotechnological processes to be performed on a microscale where certain physical processes (such as laminar flow, surface-to-volume ratio, and surface interactions) become dominant factors. At the same time, volumes and assay times are also reduced in microscale - which can substantially lower experimental costs. A decade ago, most microfluidic systems were only used for proof-of-concept studies; today, a wide array of microfluidic systems have been deployed to tackle various biotechnological research questions - especially regarding the analysis, screening, and understanding of cellular systems. Examples cover all biotechnological areas, from diagnostic applications in the field of medical biotechnology to the screening of potentially useful cells in the field of industrial biotechnology. As part of this review, we provide a brief introduction to microfluidics technology (including the vision of Lab-on-a-chip (LOC) systems) and survey some of the most notable applications of microfluidic technology in biotechnology to date.