Lab-on-a-chip allow chemical and biochemical analysis to be conducted in a miniaturized system (see description also here  and here).  Using Google one finds the following a) device that integrates one or several laboratory functions on a single chip of only millimeters to a few square;  b) A chip, combining semiconductor and microfluidics technologies, capable of handling and analyzing very small quantities of sample ; c) A small chip (often the size of a credit card) containing microfluidic channels narrower than a human hair; d) Term describing microdevices that allow rapid, microanalytical analysis of DNA or protein in a single, fully integrated system.; e) The technology that is used to perform a combination of analysis on a single miniaturized devise for biological and clinical analysis.  Lab on a chip is seen as useful  among others for portable blood tests,  non-invasive prenatal diagnosis  cleansing blood of toxic pathogens , tissue engineering, HIV diagnosis, microfluidic tool to mine proteins from cells, cultivation of mammalian cells and delivery into microfluidic microdroplets., deep-sea environmental sensing,  embryo and tissue culture, nanoparticle toxicity, drug discovery,  . There is the  Proteome-on-a-chip (see also here)  and the  cellular micropump on-chip using cardiomyocyte. On this webpage more application examples can be found .  Here is a 2004 Diploma thesis from Sweden with the title Microfluidics for lab-on-achip applications. Here an easy way to make some.  LOCAD-PTS (short for Lab-On-a-Chip Application Development–Portable Test System was used on the International Space Station.  ..  Lab Chip, 2009, 9, 752 - 753, that highlights advances in research highlights the high-speed fractionation of a proteome . Point of care, e-health, tele-health  is a big application area for lab on a chip.   The SmartBioPhone, a point of care vision is under development through two European projects: OPTOLABCARD and LABONFOIL     . . A 2006 article describes the commercial landscape of microfluidics.. The 2nd annual Lab-on-a-Chip World Congress was held in Barcelona in 2008. The conference was co-located with the Advances in Microarray Technology and Advances in Biodefense. The 2009 lb on a chip World Congress can be found here.

Lab on a chip is also linked to nano advances such as  a recent review looked at recent advances in using carbon nanotubes for lab-on-a-chip applications. The Nanotech 2008 Program had the following abstracts under the header Lab on a Chip
Lab on Chip Exhibit Hall C - Analysis of mechanical characterization on microneedles for fluid sampling and drug delivery
P. Zhang, R. Zhang, G.A. Jullien, University of Calgary, CA - Lateral-Driven Continuous Dielectrophoretic Separation Technology for Blood Cells suspended in a Highly Conductive Medium
J. Seo, J. Jung, S-I. Han, K-H Han, Y. Jung, A. Bruno Frazier, Inje University, KR - SNR Optimization for Microfabricated DNA Thermosequencing Platform
H. Esfandyarpour, R.F.W. Pease, R.W. Davis, Stanford University, US - Characterization of DNA Transport through a Semipermeable Membrane with the Effect of Surfactants
S.W. Leung, S. Bartolin, C.K. Daniels, J.C.K. Lai, Idaho State University, US - Nanoparticles and Ultrahigh 21 tesla MRI Microimaging of Mice Brain
R. Sharma, FLorida State University, US - Encoding High Throughput Suspension-based Biotechnology Assays Using Digital Magnetic Microtags
T. Mitrelias, T. Trypiniotis, F. van Belle, K.P. Kopper, S.J. Steinmuller, J. Palfreyman, P.R. Robertson, Visiting Scientist, UK - Study on fluorescent detection glucose molecule marked with ZnSe nano crystalline in microchannels
Z-C Bai, S-J Qin, Guizhou University, CN - ‘Lab on a chip’ Label Free Protein Sensor Systems Based on Polystyrene Bead and Nanofibrous Solid Supports
V. Kunduru, S. Prasad, P.K. Patra, S. Sengupta, Portland State University, US - A Novel Nanoneedle Biosensor for DNA Sequencing
H. Esfandyarpour, R.W. Davis, Stanford University, US - Nanomonitors: Electrical Immunoassays for Protein Biomarker Profiling
M.G. Bothara, R.K. Reddy, T. Barrett, J. Carruthers, S. Prasad, Portland State University, US - Ultra-sensitive Electrochemical Detection of E. coli Using Nano-porous Alumina Membrane
N.N. Mishra, W.C. Maki, B. Filanoski, M. Fellegy, E. Cameron, S.K. Rastogi, G. Maki, University of Idaho, US - Ferromagnetic Resonance Biochip for Diagnosing Pancratic Cancer
E. Casler, S. Chae, V. Kunduru, M. Bothara, E. Yang, S. Ghionea, P. Dhagat, S. Prasad, Portland State University, US - Chemically modified polacrylic acid monolayers in alumina nanoporous membranes for cancer detection
S.V. Atre, N. Monfared, M. Bothara, S. Prasad, S. Varadarajan, Oregon Nanoscience & Microtechnologies Insittute, US - SureSpot: On Line Image Processing Solutions for Sub Nanoliter Scale Fabrication for Bioassay Development
R.J. Rouse, HTS Resources, LLC, US - Purification of Nanoparticles by Hollow Fiber Diafiltration
D. Bianchi, D. Serway, W. Tamashiro, Spectrum Laboratories, US   Environmental, Health and

The Choice is Yours

The diagnostic power of Lab on a chip seems endless and many positive applications can be envisioned.  Question is what do we test for? How will the results be applied? Is there a future that lab on the chip will be so small they can be integrated into fabrics like sensors?  And will one know that one is tested?   

Gregor Wolbring is an Assistant Professor at the University of Calgary. He is Affiliated Scholar, Center for Nanotechnology in Society at Arizona State University, USA; Part Time Professor, Faculty of Law, University of Ottawa Canada; Adjunct Faculty Critical Disability Studies, York University, Canada. He is a science and technology governance scholar, a disability/vari-ability/ability studies scholar, and a health policy and science and technology studies researcher. He is a member of the Center for Nanotechnology and Society at Arizona State University. He is the Chair of the Bioethics Taskforce of Disabled People's International. He publishes the Bioethics, Culture and Disability website, authors a weblog on NBICS and its social implications and on  
Ableism and Ability Ethics and Governance  and contributes to the What Sorts of People blog.

© Gregor Wolbring, All Rights Reserved, 2009. Please contact the author for permission to reprint.