Electrogates offer stop-and-go control in microfluidics

Although microfluidics devices have a wide variety of uses, from point-of-care diagnostics to environmental analysis, one major limitation is that they cannot be modified for different uses on the fly, since their flow paths are set during fabrication. In a new study, researchers have addressed this limitation by designing electrogates that can regulate the flow of liquid at different points along the microchannel--a process that can be entirely controlled with a smartphone.