Using microfluidics as a frame of reference, two areas of research are identified within digital biochemistry: the study of natural switching systems and the study of single biological entities.The development of these two areas were reviewed.It is pointed out that microfluidics accelerates analysis of switching systems, Conversely, such switching systems can be used to create new kinds of microfluidic detection systems that provide “analog-to-digital” signal conversion;microfluidic compartmentalization technologies for studying and isolating single entities can be used to reconstruct and understand cellular processes, study interactions between single biological entities; investigate the inner heterogeneity of molecular group，cell or organism； compartmentalization of single entities can also be used to induce switching in systems that do not naturally switch, as a result, the sensitivity of detecting biomolecules was greatly enhanced,this “digitizing” offers advantages in terms of robustness, assay design, and simplicity because quantitative information can be obtained with qualitative measurements.It is anticipated that in the future they will enable new chemistries to be used for quantitative measurements.
胡丽芝，王 磊,朱欣杰. 微流体数字化技术在生物化学中的应用[J]. 煤炭与化工, 2015, 38(2): 114-117.
HU Li-zhi,WANG Lei,ZHU Xin-jie. The Application of Microfluidics in Digital Biochemistry. CCI, 2015, 38(2): 114-117.
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