"How will microfluidics using integral pumps and valves radically change your science?"

Rodney Turner,  Fluidigm Corporation

Fluidigm Corporation has mastered fluidics at the micro-scale through miniature valves, pumps, and channels that act within a chip as fluidic circuitry. We fabricate this micro circuitry using a proprietary process known as Multi-layer Soft Lithography—the MSL™ process. This elegant process enables a single chip to serve many functions, such as sample preparation, the manipulation of live cells, the perfusion of reagents, and analyte detection. This versatility gives Fluidigm an unparalleled advantage in transforming microfluidics into integrated systems for post-genome applications.

Learn how Fluidigm is developing MSL™ chips for applications in genomics, protein assays, cell-based assays, and protein crystallization.

Gain insight into why MSL™ microfluidics is ideal for high level microfluidic integration and parallelization.

"Microfluidics in the Real World"

Paul Bernasconi,  Amphora Discovery Corporation

In order to build a Chemical Genomics database, Amphora Discovery is using Caliper’s microfluidics platform to screen large numbers of targets on a highly diverse chemical library. The database will provide novel validation tools and accelerate the pace of discovery of novel therapeutic agents. The generated data must be of very high quality in terms of precision, accuracy and reproducibility. Several examples will be presented that indicate that the microfluidics approach, coupled with attention to detail in compound handling, is ideally suited for this task.

Protein Kinase Assay Development using Caliper LabChip® Systems

Aileen Zhou, Theo Nikiforov, Hugh Daniels, Rex Hardy, Wally Parce and Peter Panfili

Caliper Technologies Corp. Mountain View, CA

Summary:

We report a new and direct assay for protein kinase activity using Caliper Technologies Corp. LabChip® microfluidics systems. The kinase phosphorylates the substrate, producing a change in charge and hence a shift in electrophoretic mobility. Because the substrate and product contain a fluorescent label, the detection of a shift in mobility is rapid, sensitive and direct. No antibody is required and as little as nanoliter-scale fluid is needed in the assay. Assay development is fast and relatively simple.