Microfluidics

Microfluidics leverages tiny droplets—ranging from picoliters to nanoliters—as reaction vessels, replacing traditional test tubes or well plates. This approach offers several key advantages, including single-molecule sensitivity, minimal reagent consumption, and the ability to run massively parallel experiments.

At the Han Lab, droplet microfluidics is applied across a diverse range of research areas. We investigate the reassortment potential of Influenza A virus to better understand strain mixing, the concentration of cDNA from human blood samples for early cancer detection, and optimize the fabrication of hydrogel beads with controlled molecular weights. Our platform also enables high-throughput single-cell profiling using technologies such as scRNA-seq, scATAC-seq, and scELISA.

One of the core strengths of droplet microfluidics is its ability to generate highly monodisperse droplets with size control. This makes them ideal templates for the assembly of functional materials. Applications include artificial cell construction, development of sustained drug release systems, and beyond.