Creating functional reaction networks using plug-based microfluidics with applications in protein crystallization.

摘要

This work focuses on creating functional reaction networks and performing protein crystallization using plug-based microfluidics. Plug-based microfluidics is shown to successfully solve the technical challenges of time control and mixing control. Through simple control of mircochannel design and fluid flows, reactions in microfluidics can be maintained away from equilibrium and controlled in space and time. By combining reactions with time control, two functional reaction networks were created. The first network was used to perform autocatalytic amplification, and the second network was used to perform microfluidic seeding in protein crystallization, resulting in the first known structure of the novel protein Oligoendopeptidase F.