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Continuous molecular enrichment in microfluidic systems

This demonstrated a new microfluidic ability: to selectively absorb onto the solid phase (of a suspension), a specific chemical compound in another contiguous immiscible liquid-phase. Segmented flow dramatically accelerates this transfer-absorption, the solid-phase maintaining an inter-liquid-phase, concentration gradient. This had not been done before, and has multiple potential applications (e.g. decontamination, rare-materials recovery). It has been quoted by leading international researchers in Germany (e.g. Zengerle in Frieburg) and Japan, working on CD-based rotational chemical microextractions systems. The concept is being widened through a £60k PhD studentship using the fundamental principle to protect mesenchymal stem cells from contaminants during microfluidic encapsulation.