Part C | 20
524 Part C Marine Genomics
and salted microchannels for electric potential measurement, using an evaporation/lift-off process. To perform
seawater desalinization, seawater from Crane Beach,
Massachusetts, was physically prefiltered to remove
any precipitation and debris larger than the channel
dimension (dirt, sand, and seaweed) and then loaded
(using an external pressure pump) into the reservoir
of the chip. Once the ICP process was initiated, a depletion zone formed and diverted charged ions into
the salted stream. In addition, the ICP layer acted as
a virtual barrier for any charged particles found in the
seawater (both negative and positive), including solid
particles, microorganisms, and biomolecules (including
proteins, bacteria, viruses, red blood cells, and white
blood cells (WBCs)), because most water-borne microorganisms and microparticles have a nonzero zeta
potential. Consequently, both small salt ions and large
microorganisms could be removed simultaneously from
the output desalted stream, making this process highly
attractive for direct desalination of seawater from natural sources. However, this system cannot remove neutral
particles and must be associated to other conventional
system, such as charcoal absorption, in order to to obtain drinkable water. The present technology would
not replace large-scale RO or ED plants for general
seawater desalination (for agricultural and industrial
purposes), but the technique could be used as a small
portable unit with low power consumption. It is, therefore, suitable for seawater desalination in disaster and
poverty-stricken areas where the necessary infrastructures for operating large-scale desalination systems are
unavailable.
20.5 Conclusion
Microfluidic technologies are powerful tools that can
revolutionize marine biotechnology. In this chapter, we
described some of the systems and concepts that overcome a number of limitations imposed by conventional
macroscale experimentations, including expensive and
time-consuming methods, the supply of rare and large
volumes of reagents, and the large space and apparatus
required. With the miniaturization of the biological and
chemical processes on a single chip, there is a new set of
tools that dramatically changes the approach to marine
biotechnology. These tools render marine biotechnology studies faster, cheaper, and easier. In addition, because of their small size, these tools are highly suitable
for in situ studies and analysis, and consequently perfect to increase the response time during biological or
chemical pollution of costal seawater or to prevent sample deterioration after harvesting. However, microfluidics is still an infant in marine biotechnology, and
various applications, such as marine-based drug discovery, have not been investigated. In the field of drug
discovery, microfluidics has demonstrated its potential.
Marine biotechnology will benefit highly from the development of such tools, making the discovery of active
marine biocompounds much easier and faster. Moreover, in order for microfluidic-based marine biotechnology to efficiently grow and substitute conventional
methodologies, several challenges must be overcome.
For example, in order to bring about lab-in-the-field,
portability of the system should remain one of the main
cornerstones of chip development and important efforts
must be made to get rid of all external tubings, pumps,
gas tanks, and other bulky components that anchor the
chip into the lab. More importantly, mindsets need to be
changed and researchers in marine biotechnology need
to be convinced of the suitability of these systems by
increasing the number of validation studies.
References
20.1
J.P. Rafferty: Oceans and Oceanography (Rosen
Publishing Group, New York 2011)
20.2
Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Science and Technology Committee:
Investigating the Oceans: Tenth Report of Session
2006-07, Vol. 1: Report, Together with Formal
Minutes (Stationary Office, London 2007)
20.3
J. Krieger, M.E. Crahan: The Oxford Companion
to Politics of the World (Oxford Univ. Press, USA
2001)
20.4
G. Whitesides: The origins and the future of microfluidics, Nature 442(7101), 368–373 (2006)
20.5
P. Gravesen, J. Branebjerg, O. Jensen: Microfluidics – A review, J. Micromech. Microeng. 3, 168
(1993)
20.6
P. Tabeling: Introduction to Microfluidics (Oxford
Univ. Press, USA 2005)
20.7
A.Y. Fu, H.P. Chou, C. Spence, F.H. Arnold,
S.R. Quake: An integrated microfabricated cell
sorter, Anal. Chem. 74(11), 2451–2457 (2002)
524 Part C Marine Genomics
and salted microchannels for electric potential measurement, using an evaporation/lift-off process. To perform
seawater desalinization, seawater from Crane Beach,
Massachusetts, was physically prefiltered to remove
any precipitation and debris larger than the channel
dimension (dirt, sand, and seaweed) and then loaded
(using an external pressure pump) into the reservoir
of the chip. Once the ICP process was initiated, a depletion zone formed and diverted charged ions into
the salted stream. In addition, the ICP layer acted as
a virtual barrier for any charged particles found in the
seawater (both negative and positive), including solid
particles, microorganisms, and biomolecules (including
proteins, bacteria, viruses, red blood cells, and white
blood cells (WBCs)), because most water-borne microorganisms and microparticles have a nonzero zeta
potential. Consequently, both small salt ions and large
microorganisms could be removed simultaneously from
the output desalted stream, making this process highly
attractive for direct desalination of seawater from natural sources. However, this system cannot remove neutral
particles and must be associated to other conventional
system, such as charcoal absorption, in order to to obtain drinkable water. The present technology would
not replace large-scale RO or ED plants for general
seawater desalination (for agricultural and industrial
purposes), but the technique could be used as a small
portable unit with low power consumption. It is, therefore, suitable for seawater desalination in disaster and
poverty-stricken areas where the necessary infrastructures for operating large-scale desalination systems are
unavailable.
20.5 Conclusion
Microfluidic technologies are powerful tools that can
revolutionize marine biotechnology. In this chapter, we
described some of the systems and concepts that overcome a number of limitations imposed by conventional
macroscale experimentations, including expensive and
time-consuming methods, the supply of rare and large
volumes of reagents, and the large space and apparatus
required. With the miniaturization of the biological and
chemical processes on a single chip, there is a new set of
tools that dramatically changes the approach to marine
biotechnology. These tools render marine biotechnology studies faster, cheaper, and easier. In addition, because of their small size, these tools are highly suitable
for in situ studies and analysis, and consequently perfect to increase the response time during biological or
chemical pollution of costal seawater or to prevent sample deterioration after harvesting. However, microfluidics is still an infant in marine biotechnology, and
various applications, such as marine-based drug discovery, have not been investigated. In the field of drug
discovery, microfluidics has demonstrated its potential.
Marine biotechnology will benefit highly from the development of such tools, making the discovery of active
marine biocompounds much easier and faster. Moreover, in order for microfluidic-based marine biotechnology to efficiently grow and substitute conventional
methodologies, several challenges must be overcome.
For example, in order to bring about lab-in-the-field,
portability of the system should remain one of the main
cornerstones of chip development and important efforts
must be made to get rid of all external tubings, pumps,
gas tanks, and other bulky components that anchor the
chip into the lab. More importantly, mindsets need to be
changed and researchers in marine biotechnology need
to be convinced of the suitability of these systems by
increasing the number of validation studies.
References
20.1
J.P. Rafferty: Oceans and Oceanography (Rosen
Publishing Group, New York 2011)
20.2
Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Science and Technology Committee:
Investigating the Oceans: Tenth Report of Session
2006-07, Vol. 1: Report, Together with Formal
Minutes (Stationary Office, London 2007)
20.3
J. Krieger, M.E. Crahan: The Oxford Companion
to Politics of the World (Oxford Univ. Press, USA
2001)
20.4
G. Whitesides: The origins and the future of microfluidics, Nature 442(7101), 368–373 (2006)
20.5
P. Gravesen, J. Branebjerg, O. Jensen: Microfluidics – A review, J. Micromech. Microeng. 3, 168
(1993)
20.6
P. Tabeling: Introduction to Microfluidics (Oxford
Univ. Press, USA 2005)
20.7
A.Y. Fu, H.P. Chou, C. Spence, F.H. Arnold,
S.R. Quake: An integrated microfabricated cell
sorter, Anal. Chem. 74(11), 2451–2457 (2002)