In certain embodiments this invention provides a pulsed-laser triggered microfluidic switching mechanism that can achieve a switching time of 70 s. This switching speed is two orders of magnitude shorter than that of the fastest switching mechanism utilized in previous FACS.

Embodiments of the disclosure generally provide compositions and methods related to articles that display reversible photoresponsive behavior.

Provided is a rotatable microfluidic device for conducting simultaneously two or more assays. The device includes a platform which can be rotated, a first unit which is disposed at one portion of the platform and detects a target material from a sample using surface on which a capture probe selectively binds to the target material is attached, and a second unit which is disposed at another portion of the platform and detects a target material included in the sample by a different reaction from the reaction conducted in the first unit.

An example one-time-open microfluidic valve can include an inlet microfluidic channel in a first elevation plane and an outlet channel in a second elevation plane. An upstream end of the outlet channel can overlap a downstream end of the inlet microfluidic channel. A capillary nozzle opening can connect the inlet microfluidic channel to the outlet channel at the overlapping ends. The capillary nozzle opening can have an outlet width that is smaller than a width of the outlet channel. A fluid actuator can be positioned to eject a fluid in the inlet microfluidic channel through the capillary nozzle opening into the outlet channel.