Microfluidics · 2017
Open-source, community-driven microfluidics with Metafluidics
Microfluidic devices have the potential to automate and miniaturize biological experiments, but open-source sharing of device designs has lagged behind sharing of other resources such as software. Synthetic biologists have used microfluidics for DNA assembly, cell-free expression, and cell culture, but a combination of expense, device complexity, and reliance on custom set-ups hampers their widespread adoption.
Performance the paper reports
0 of 5- Motion—Motion accuracy: not reported
- Volume—Volumetric accuracy: not reported
- Viability—Cell viability: not reported
- Unattended—Unattended operation: not reported
- Standard—Standard compliance: not reported
The full text was read and states no figure for any of the five.
How hard this is to adopt
3.8 of 5, higher is easierEach score is shown against the range the other 59 builds actually occupy, because no criterion uses the full 1–5 scale. These describe how reproducible the build is, not how good the science is.
Resolution
4/1–5Valve-defined reaction volumes of 300-650 nL, tenfold below 2-10 uL tube controls, but no quantified volumetric accuracy, drift or pulsation measurements.
Throughput
5/2–532 independently programmable pneumatic channels plus 16 pressure outlets; eight control channels drive on-chip mixing of three fluids; multiplexors addressable to thousands of channels.
Parts sourcing
4/2–4Mostly off-the-shelf or kit-based components.
Skill needed
2/2–4Multiple advanced technical skills appear required.
Facilities needed
3/2–4Requires accessible but nontrivial lab/maker equipment.
Documentation
5/2–5Multiple open resources named: files/code/BOM/protocol documentation.
Validation effort
4/2–4Four assembly biochemistries benchmarked head-to-head against tube reactions (colony yields, digests, sequencing, flow cytometry); metrics are biological rather than fluidic, no leakage/carryover testing.
Cycle time
3/1–4No timing comparison reported; described as a push-button eight-stage sequence with no cycle, priming or fluid-switching times versus the tube workflow.
2 further criteria are recorded but not shown
- Application Level — scored 4 (75% of records share one value), so it cannot separate one build from another.
- Build Time (scored for only 6 of 60 records), so it cannot separate one build from another.
Both remain in the published dataset.
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Report what it took, including attempts that stalled. A failed build tells the next laboratory what the documentation leaves out.
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The index has no cost, licence on the design files or which files exist (CAD, bill of materials, firmware…) for this build. If you are an author or have built it, you know; a GitHub issue pre-filled with this record takes a minute.
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Matched by title · retrieved 2026-07-21
Abstract
Microfluidic devices have the potential to automate and miniaturize biological experiments, but open-source sharing of device designs has lagged behind sharing of other resources such as software. Synthetic biologists have used microfluidics for DNA assembly, cell-free expression, and cell culture, but a combination of expense, device complexity, and reliance on custom set-ups hampers their widespread adoption. We present Metafluidics, an open-source, community-driven repository that hosts digital design files, assembly specifications, and open-source software to enable users to build, configure, and operate a microfluidic device. We use Metafluidics to share designs and fabrication instructions for both a microfluidic ring-mixer device and a 32-channel tabletop microfluidic controller. This device and controller are applied to build genetic circuits using standard DNA assembly methods including ligation, Gateway, Gibson, and Golden Gate. Metafluidics is intended to enable a broad community of engineers, DIY enthusiasts, and other nontraditional participants with limited fabrication skills to contribute to microfluidic research.
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