New detection modes for droplet microfluidics

这个项目是基于这样一个想法，即实验生物学中的经典试管可以被微型油包水液滴取代。这种液滴相当于一个超小的试管。液滴体积通常在毫微微到纳升范围内。此外，一个毫升大小的管子可以容纳多达10e10个液滴反应器。重要的是，相同数量的实验可以同时进行。其关键思想是，液滴隔间将功能分子与其身份信息和功能读数结合在一起。因此，液滴包含了评估和破译特定实验或分析图书馆成员所需的一切。这个系统非常适合定向进化，因为在液滴中结合了基因和表型。我们最近以这种形式进行了定向蛋白质进化(Kintses，B.等人和HollFelder，F.Chemical&Biology 2012，19(8)：1001-9)，现在建议为基于生色团生成的分析增加另一种检测模式，以允许筛选更广泛的生物功能。

This project is based on the idea that the classical test tube in experimental biology can be replaced by miniature water-in-oil droplets. The droplet is the equivalent of an ultra-small test tube. Droplet volumes are typically in the femto- to nanolitre range. Furthermore, up to 10e10 droplet reactors fit into a millilitre-sized tube. Importantly, an equivalent number of experiments can be carried out simultaneously. The key idea is that the droplet compartment combines the functional molecule with information on its identity and a readout of its function. Thus the droplet contains everything needed to assess and decode a particular experiment or profile a library member. This system is ideally suited for directed evolution, because genotype and phenotype are combined in the droplet. We have recently performed directed protein evolution in this format (Kintses, B. et al & Hollfelder, F. Chemistry & Biology 2012, 19(8):1001-9) and now propose to add another detection mode for assays that are based on generation of a chromophore, to allow a wider range of biological functions to be screened.