Microfluidic chip: Next-generation platform for systems biology

Systems biology advocates the understanding of biology at the systems-level, which requires massive information of correlations among individual components in complex biological systems. Such comprehensive investigation entails the use of high-throughput analytical tools. Microfluidic technology holds high promise to facilitate the progress of biology by enabling miniaturization and upgrading of current biological research tools due to its advantages such as low sample consumption, reduced analysis time, high-throughput and compatible sizes with most biological samples. In this article. we documented the recent applications of microfluidic chips in biological researches at the molecular level, cellular level and organism level, serving the purpose for systems-level understanding of biology. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.