Miniaturization as a Demand of High-Throughput Synthesis and Analysis of Biomolecules

The catchphrases biotechnology, combinatorial chemistry and high-throughput-screening are implementing the need for automation and miniaturization in order to handle thousands of different substances within a short limit of time and a minimum consumption of valuable biomolecules. Automation and miniaturization of chemical and biological reactions like combinatorial synthesis, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), or DNA-sequencing require high numbers of one-way tools for synthesis, separation and analysis. Such consumables can be microstructured in a variety of materials including glass, polymers, metals, and silicon, generating structures with high aspect ratios and dimensions in the low µm-range, which in the case of polymers can be injection-molded. The present paper describes several miniaturized components and integrated systems for the application mentioned above.