Introduction to
Lab-on-a-chip Systems
EEMN21
Welcome to Introduction to Microfluidics and Lab-on-a-chip Systems. This course gives you an overview of how various chemical and biological lab tests can be miniaturized into lab-on-a-chip systems. The course covers some theoretical background as well as many examples of applications within chemistry, biotechnology and medicine. You also get to try yourself in lab exercises and a short project.
The schedule, reading instructions, lab instructions and more can be found by clicking the sub-pages in the menu to the left. Microfluidics is introduced below.
What is microfluidics?
Fluids behave differently on the microscale compared to what we are used to on the macroscale. Narrow channels prevent turbulence, instead liquid layers flow side by side as laminas, as in this video.
What is a lab on a chip?
Microfluidics is used to miniaturize lab procedures to the microscale and integrate them into chips, similar to chips in a computer.
These are some examples:
The course
This course contains:
- how lab tests can be miniaturized to chips
- applications within chemistry, biology and medicine
- how liquids behave on the microscale
- tools for simulating microfluidics
- how microfluidic chips are fabricated
- hands on lab exercises where you study laminar flow, diffusion, acoustic forces and droplet generation
- research article discussions
- a short project with a researcher
More details about the various parts of the course can be found by clicking the subpages to the left.
Four steps to microfluidics
1. Introduction to microfluidics and lab-on-a-chip systems (EEMN21, LP 1)
- How liquids behave on the microscale
- Applications within chemistry, biology and medicine
- Simulating microfluidics
- Hands on lab exercises
- A short project with a researcher
2. Lab-on-a-chip in biomedical applications (EEMN25, LP 4)
Deeper discussion of biomedical applications
Guest lectures from companies
Guest lectures by international researchers
Lab exercise in a research lab
A longer project with a researcher
3. Experimental Biophysics (FFN20, LP 3-4)
5. Research as a PhD student or product development in a company
Microfluidics research examples:
Microfluidics company examples in Sweden: