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Microfluidics in Biotechnology: Overview and Status Quo

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Microfluidics in Biotechnology

Part of the book series: Advances in Biochemical Engineering/Biotechnology ((ABE,volume 179))

Abstract

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.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Steffen Winkler for the design and creation of Fig. 3, and Julian Schmitz for the design and creation of the icons for the different biotechnology fields (see Fig. 4). We furthermore would like to thank Christopher Heuer for proof-reading this manuscript.

Conflict of Interest

No conflict of interest to declare.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Technical Chemistry, Leibniz University Hannover, Hannover, Germany

    Janina Bahnemann

  2. Multiscale Bioengineering, Faculty of Technology, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany

    Alexander Grünberger

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  1. Janina Bahnemann
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  2. Alexander Grünberger
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Correspondence to Janina Bahnemann or Alexander Grünberger .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Physics, University of Augsburg, Augsburg, Germany

    Janina Bahnemann

  2. Multiscale Bioengineering, Faculty of Technology, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany

    Alexander Grünberger

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Bahnemann, J., Grünberger, A. (2022). Microfluidics in Biotechnology: Overview and Status Quo. In: Bahnemann, J., Grünberger, A. (eds) Microfluidics in Biotechnology. Advances in Biochemical Engineering/Biotechnology, vol 179. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/10_2022_206

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