The invention describes a method for the synthesis of compounds comprising the steps of: (a) compartmentalising two or more sets of primary compounds into microcapsules; such that a proportion of the microcapsules contains two or more compounds; and (b) forming secondary compounds in the microcapsules by chemical reactions between primary compounds from different sets; wherein one or both of steps (a) and (b) is performed under microfluidic control; preferably electronic microfluidic control, The invention further allows for the identification of compounds which bind to a target component of a biochemical system or modulate the activity of the target, and which is co-compartmentalised into the microcapsules.

A device comprising, a substrate having a droplet thereover, and an electrical source coupleable to the substrate. The electrical source is configured to apply a voltage between the substrate and the droplet using an electrode. The electrode has a first portion and a second portion non-symmetric to the first portion, the first and second portions defined by a plane located normal to a longitudinal axis and through a midpoint of a length of the electrode.

An electric field stirring apparatus, in which a droplet as a liquid disposed between a first electrode and a second electrode disposed to face each other is vibrated and stirred by an electric field generated between the first electrode and the second electrode, the second electrode having a groove formed along a first direction on an electrode surface facing the first electrode, includes a movement mechanism that reciprocally moves the first electrode relative to the second electrode in a second direction intersecting the first direction in a state in which the first electrode and the second electrode face each other during a period in which the electric field is generated.

An electric field stirring apparatus, in which a droplet as a liquid disposed between a first electrode and a second electrode disposed to face each other is vibrated and stirred by an electric field generated between the first electrode and the second electrode, the second electrode having a groove formed along a first direction on an electrode surface facing the first electrode, includes a movement mechanism that reciprocally moves the first electrode relative to the second electrode in a second direction intersecting the first direction in a state in which the first electrode and the second electrode face each other during a period in which the electric field is generated.

The present invention relates to droplet-based surface modification and washing. According to one embodiment, a method of splitting a droplet is provided, the method including providing a droplet microactuator including a droplet including one or more beads and immobilizing at least one of the one or more beads. The method further includes conducting one or more droplet operations to divide the droplet to yield a set of droplets including a droplet including the one or more immobilized beads and a droplet substantially lacking the one or more immobilized beads.

Various aspects of the present invention relate to the control and manipulation of fluidic species, for example, in microfluidic systems. In one aspect, the invention relates to systems and methods for making droplets of fluid surrounded by a liquid, using, for example, electric fields, mechanical alterations, the addition of an intervening fluid, etc. In another aspect, the invention relates to systems and methods for dividing a fluidic droplet into two droplets, for example, through charge and/or dipole interactions with an electric field. The invention also relates to systems and methods for fusing droplets, according to another aspect of the invention, for example, through charge and/or dipole interactions. Another aspect of the invention provides the ability to determine droplets, or a component thereof, for example, using fluorescence and/or other optical techniques (e.g., microscopy), or electric sensing techniques such as dielectric sensing.

The invention refers to a method, and to a device to produce emulsions and particle suspensions by using electro-hydrodinamic forces and microfluidics This combined use allow the production of droplets with mean diameters which may be either smaller than those obtained in conventional microfluidic devices or larger than those obtained by electrospray, bridging the gap between the two methods acting independently.

Devices, systems, and methods for charging fluids are disclosed. The charging of fluids improves the mixing of fluids in microfluidic systems. The charging is performed by producing an ion field between an ionizing electrode and an opposed ground electrode. A fluid-containing vessel is positioned between the opposed electrodes and the ion field charges the fluid in the vessel.

The invention describes a method for isolating one or more genetic elements encoding a gene product having a desired activity, comprising the steps of: (a) compartmentalising genetic elements into microcapsules; and (b) sorting the genetic elements which express the gene product having the desired activity; wherein at least one step is under microfluidic control. The invention enables the in vitro evolution of nucleic acids and proteins by repeated mutagenesis and iterative applications of the method of the invention.

A droplet actuator for manipulating a fluid using an electrical field includes a droplet arranged on or over an electrode. The droplet includes a set of beads arranged substantially in a monolayer on or over a surface of the droplet actuator.