Programmable nanoliter automation for biological discovery and screening

Overview

This solution is an established digital microfluidics (DMF) platform that uses electrostatic forces on a compact chip to programmatically dispense, move, mix, split, and incubate nanoliter droplets. It replaces manual liquid handling with software-controlled workflows, enabling parallel sample and reagent processing for biological discovery and screening. The platform is designed to support diverse applications, from enzyme and inhibitor assays to plant-relevant materials such as proteins, algae, and protoplasts. Because protocols are reconfigured in software, screening workflows can be rapidly adapted as experimental needs evolve. The offering combines the DropBot open-source digital microfluidic controller with integrated modules for thermal control, purification, automated liquid input/output, and automated microscopy with AI-enabled analysis.

Technical specifications

Key capabilities:

• Electrostatic droplet control on a small chip for programmable dispensing, mixing, splitting, and incubation at nanoliter volumes
• Integrated heating and cooling for temperature-controlled assays
• Magnetic-bead purification and extraction for sample preparation
• Automated liquid input/output for hands-free operation
• Motorized XYZ imaging system with automated microscopy and AI-enabled analysis
• Demonstrated parallel operation of 24 enzymatic reactions with automated mixing and image-based analysis
• Accommodates sample types including whole blood, proteins, algae, protoplasts, and other plant-relevant materials
• Modular hardware and software design for custom workflow development

The platform is backed by more than 10 years of DMF expertise, including assay development and custom workflows for external organizations. It is available through a commercial subsidiary with open-source controller hardware used by academic and industrial researchers.

Technology readiness level

The core DMF platform is commercially available and has been used in published studies demonstrating algae culture, droplet-based protoplast analysis, and automated whole-blood assays. The platform can be configured through a structured 12-month adaptation program: Phase 1 captures requirements and builds or tunes the integrated hardware and software; Phase 2 develops and optimizes automated workflows for selected enzyme, inhibitor, and plant-relevant assays; Phase 3 benchmarks these workflows against standard methods for performance, reproducibility, hands-on time, reagent use, and throughput, with a GO/NO-GO assessment before final delivery. This structured path moves application-specific configurations from early validation to deployment readiness.