Microfluidics is the science and technology of controlling and analyzing very small volumes of liquid within microscale channels, which are often less than a millimeter in width. These channels are typically fabricated in materials such as glass, silicon, or polymer substrates and are used to transport, mix, separate, or analyze fluids with high precision. The concept, widely referred to as “lab-on-a-chip,” is an application of microfluidics and has transformed experimental design by condensing entire laboratory workflows into miniaturized and highly efficient systems. 

By shrinking fluid handling to the microscale, microfluidic systems enable faster reactions, reduced reagent consumption, and seamless integration of multiple steps within a single device. They also conserve precious biological samples by requiring small volumes of input material. Another advantage includes the ability to run multiple assays simultaneously on a single chip, supporting complex and multiplexed analyses. 

These features have made microfluidics central to diagnostics, drug discovery, and life science research. In healthcare, microfluidic platforms are powering innovations in infectious disease testing, cancer detection, and liquid biopsies. In environmental monitoring, they enable testing of water quality and contaminants, and in research, they support single-cell analysis and high-throughput screening, advancing fields from genomics to synthetic biology.  

SCIENION technologies support these advancements with its sciFLEXARRAYER series, which provides ultra-low, precision dispensing for microarray and cartridge development, and its sciPOLY3D technology, which enables biomolecule immobilization on unmodified polymer surfaces. SCIENION solutions make it possible to integrate DNA, RNA, and protein assays into microfluidic devices, delivering reproducible, multiplexed, and scalable workflows.