Lab-on-a-chip: Mechanism and Mitigation of Biofouling

Abstract

Biofouling is a major bottleneck in the field of microfluidics. This not only obstructs the flow of fluid and reduces fluid pressure but also lowers the concentration of species retained in the solution. This is particularly problematic for microfluidic devices, which have a high surface-area-to-volume ratio. This means that the operations of the microfluidic devices must be stopped, and the components need to be washed for their optimum functioning. To resolve the issue of biofouling, various methods have been used. The use of chemicals is the most prominent method, although this has safety concerns. Alternatively, surface modifications can be made to resist fouling. The chapter provides an in-depth discussion regarding the various aspects of biofouling. The chapter comprehensively describes the various mitigation strategies employed to prevent biofouling in a microfluidic device.