By taking advantage of the natural movement of liquid through paper, researchers at Harvard's Whitesides Research Group may have found a way to make microfluidics technology much cheaper. The result could be disposable diagnostic tests simple and abundant enough for use in the developing world.

The field of microfluidics deals with the precise manipulation of tiny quantities of liquid. One of its most promising applications is the so-called lab-on-a-chip, which can work with much smaller fluid samples than larger devices require, potentially allowing for more portable diagnostic tools. But existing microfluidic chips are generally made from comparatively expensive materials like silicon, glass, or plastic and have tiny pumps and valves that can be difficult to manufacture.

Now, Harvard's George Whitesides and his team have built a microfluidic device on a square of paper the size of a pinky fingernail. "It's the first example I've heard of paper microfluidics," says Albert Folch, a bioengineer at the University of Washington who works on microfabrication. "It's really clever because it uses paper as a substrate, which is universally available."   Read More...