An apparatus for creating an emulsion, including: an inlet chamber; a channel comprising a length L, height H, an inlet and an outlet, and walls having surface energies, the channel inlet adjacent to the inlet chamber. The channel inlet walls have a first surface energy and the outlet walls have a second surface energy substantially different from the first surface energy. An outlet chamber is disposed adjacent to the channel outlet, the outlet chamber height H2 being greater than the channel height H.

The present invention provides microfluidic technology enabling rapid and economical manipulation of reactions on the femtoliter to microliter scale.

Microfluidic methods for barcoding nucleic acid target molecules to be analyzed, e.g., via nucleic acid sequencing techniques, are provided. Also provided are microfluidic, droplet-based methods of preparing nucleic acid barcodes for use in various barcoding applications. The methods described herein facilitate high-throughput sequencing of nucleic acid target molecules as well as single cell and single virus genomic, transcriptomic, and/or proteomic analysis/profiling. Systems and devices for practicing the subject methods are also provided.

An apparatus for generating one or several droplets of a first liquid in a second liquid immiscible with the first liquid includes a rotational body and a drive apparatus. The rotational body includes a fluid chamber, a fluid channel and a transition area. The transition area includes a first expansion area and a second expansion area. The drive apparatus is configured to provide the rotational body with such a rotation that the first liquid is supplied centrifugally to the fluid chamber and that centrifugally hydrodynamically induced pressure and lifting forces are caused due to the second expansion area, which cause a droplet break-off in the first liquid, such that a droplet of the first liquid embedded in the second liquid is generated.

A microfluidic module for co-encapsulation in droplets of two populations of particles may include first and second modules for sorting the two populations. The modules may have their first outlets including first obstructive valves configured to at least partially obstruct the first outlets. The first outlets may be fluidly connected to a fusion module, including a fusion module means for merging at least one droplet from the first droplet population and at least one droplet from the second droplet population into a merged droplet comprising the two population of particles, and a control unit for controlling the first obstructive valves from information originating from a first and second module detection portion located upstream of the first outlets.

The present invention provides microfluidic technology enabling rapid and economical manipulation of reactions on the femtoliter to microliter scale.

The invention generally relates to methods for quantifying an amount of enzyme molecules. Systems and methods of the invention are provided for measuring an amount of target by forming a plurality of fluid partitions, a subset of which include the target, performing an enzyme-catalyzed reaction in the subset, and detecting the number of partitions in the subset. The amount of target can be determined based on the detected number.

This disclosure relates to methods and systems for assaying biological samples which include analyzing cellular components of biological samples. An example method of the disclosure may comprise generating aqueous droplets wrapped in a carrier fluid which is immiscible with the aqueous droplets. The aqueous droplets may comprise a cell from a biological sample, a microcarrier, and/or a lysing agent. The method may further comprise using the lysing agent to lyse the cell to release intracellular components comprising nucleic acid from the cell and dispensing the microcarrier and the nucleic acid released from the lysing to a vessel. The released nucleic acid may then be subjected to an assay which may comprise a nucleic acid amplification reaction.

Devices, systems, and their methods of use, for generating droplets are provided. One or more geometric parameters of a microfluidic channel can be selected to generate droplets of a desired and predictable droplet size.

Multiple emulsions and techniques for the formation of multiple emulsions are generally described. A multiple emulsion, as used herein, describes larger droplets that contain one or more smaller droplets therein. In some embodiments, the larger droplet or droplets may be suspended in a carrying fluid containing the larger droplets that, in turn, contain the smaller droplets. As described below, multiple emulsions can be formed in one step in certain embodiments, with generally precise repeatability, and can be tailored in some embodiments to include a relatively thin layer of fluid separating two other fluids.