NextGenMicrofluidics combines the competencies of 21 companies and research organizations along the entire value chain in the development of microfluidic lab-on-a-foil systems and offers services for the development and production of these systems for companies – from start-ups to large-scale industry. This H2020 project tested the collaboration across 5 demo cases.
Within NextGenMicrofluidics, a lab-on-a-cartridge device was developed that enables the simultaneous detection of multiple analytes at a low-cost with the use of probe-spotted microarrays and measurements of the fluorescence intensity. The device brings together the most innovative concepts in micro total analysis systems (μΤΑS) and allows the end-to-end analysis of very diverse samples with the use of a single, compact microfluidics cartridge, whose versatile design can be easily adapted to the needs of a vast range of medical and environmental analyses as well as for food safety and quality monitoring purposes.
Cost efficiency is achieved through a unique combination of fully self-contained cartridges and foil-based sensors, incorporating all the necessary compartments and reservoirs as well as innovative techniques for fluidic actuation. Furthermore, the sensor foil itself is fabricated and structured by R2R techniques, thus doubling up as a substrate for TIRF microscopy, apart from keeping production costs low.
Within the project, the capabilities of the newly-developed lab-on-a-cartridge were validated in two distinct applications. On the one hand, its performance as a point-of-care device for molecular diagnostics was demonstrated in the multiplexed detection of SARS-CoV-2 and Influenza A in patient samples, while its use as portable device for food safety monitoring was exemplified through the detection of aflatoxin M1 and oxytetracycline in milk samples.
On 22 January 2025 from 14:00-15:00 CET, join speakers George Tsekenis, Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens (BRFAA) and Jörg Nestler of BiFlow Systems to learn more about this technology and its potential applications
Beyond the project, the Microfluidics Innovation Hub (MIH) offers customers a single entry point to a wide range of existing cutting edge microfluidic technologies from Europe’s top research centres and companies, covering the entire value chain to accelerate the demonstration of exciting new scientific breakthroughs towards a working prototype, and beyond into mass manufacturing.
