![Transcription factories in a Hela cell [from Cook PR (1999) Science 284, 1790]](../pombo.png)
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| Conventional microfluidic circuits take days to make, and skill to operate. The introduction of 'Freestyle Fluidics' changes this; circuits can be made in seconds that are easy to use (Walsh EJ et al, 2017, Nat Commun 8, 816). In this YouTube movie (runs 2x speed, then 32x), a Y-shaped circuit is printed in seconds in a 6 cm dish, evaporation is prevented by overlaying a transparent and immiscible liquid (2 x 1 ml), and red/blue dyes are pumped into the arms to flow to the sink (bottom). Dyes in this circuit are confined by liquid (not solid) walls; they are pinned by interfacial forces to the dish, much as raindrops are pinned to window panes. These fluid walls are robust, sealing spontaneously around the inserted tubes, and self-healing when they are withdrawn. |
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