The present invention provides microfabricated substrates and methods of conducting reactions within these substrates. The reactions occur in plugs transported in the flow of a carrier-fluid.

A process for increasing alcohol yield from biomass (the form or agro- or forest residue, grains, hops, etc.), involving multiple hydrodynamic cavitation treatments of biomass filtrateboth before and after fermentation. Carbohydrates extracted from biomass are subjected to a first cavitation treatment to promote additional conversion into carbohydrates. The carbohydrates are then combined with bacterial species and nutrients, and allowed to ferment. The fermentation product is subjected to a second hydrodynamic cavitation treatment to promote further conversion of carbohydrates into bioalcohol. After distillation, the bioalcohol is subjected to a second hydrodynamic cavitation treatment to increase its purity.

Limit size lipid nanoparticles, methods for using the lipid nanoparticles, and methods and systems for making limit size lipid nanoparticles.

A method is provided to prepare one or more microfluidic channels on a receptive material by applying an image-forming material to a heat sensitive thermoplastic receptive material in a designed pattern and heating the material under conditions that reduce the size of the thermoplastic receptive material by at least about 60%. In an alternative aspect, the microfluidic channels on receptive material are prepared by etching a designed pattern into a heat sensitive thermoplastic material support and then heating the material under conditions that reduce the size of the thermoplastic receptive material by at least about 60%.

A biological fluid sample analysis cartridge is provided. The cartridge includes a housing, a fluid module, and an analysis chamber. The fluid module includes a sample acquisition port and an initial channel, and is connected to the housing. The initial channel is sized to draw fluid sample by capillary force, and is in fluid communication with the acquisition port. The initial channel is fixedly positioned relative to the acquisition port such that at least a portion of a fluid sample disposed within the acquisition port will draw into the initial channel. The analysis chamber is connected to the housing, and is in fluid communication with the initial channel.

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.

The invention describes a method for the identification of compounds which bind to a target component of a biochemical system or modulate the activity of the target, comprising the steps of: a) compartmentalising the compounds into microcapsules together with the target, such that only a subset of the repertoire is represented in multiple copies in any one microcapsule; and b) identifying the compound which binds to or modulates the activity of the target; wherein at least one step is performed under microfluidic control. The invention enables the screening of large repertoires of molecules which can serve as leads for drug development.

A process for extracting carbohydrates from biomass and creating bioalcohol from the extracted carbohydrates. Subjecting the biomass to acid or alkali hydrolysis in a first hydrodynamic cavitation process. Filtering the first cavitated biomass to separate a first filtrate containing extracted carbohydrates. Fermenting the first filtrate to create a bioalcohol and separating the bioalcohol by distillation or similar process. Subjecting the biomass to enzymatic hydrolysis in a second hydrodynamic cavitation process. Filtering the second cavitated biomass to separate a second filtrate containing extracted carbohydrates. Fermenting the second filtrate to create a bioalcohol and separating the bioalcohol by distillation or similar process. The first and second filtrates may be combined and fermented in a single step.

A method of crystallization is disclosed, the method comprises the steps of providing a microfluidic system comprising at least three channels having at least one junction; providing within the at least three channels a continuously flowing water-immiscible carrier-fluid, a continuously flowing first aqueous fluid comprising a crystallization target, and a continuously flowing second aqueous fluid comprising a precipitant; forming at least one plug comprising the first and second aqueous fluids by partitioning the aqueous fluids with the flowing carrier-fluid at the junction of the at least three channels, flowing the at least one plug through an outlet port into a tubing, and stopping the flow of the at least one plug in the tubing, wherein the crystallization target forms a crystal in the tubing.

Provided herein are methods utilizing microfluidics for the oxygen-controlled generation of microparticles and hydrogels having controlled microparticle sizes and size distributions and products from provided methods. The included methods provide the generation of microparticles by polymerizing an aqueous solution dispersed in a non-aqueous continuous phase in an oxygen-controlled environment. The process allows for control of size of the size of the aqueous droplets and, thus, control of the size of the generated microparticles which may be used in biological applications.