Microfluidic expert Dolomite launches novel surface coating agent for improved droplet microfluidics

March 27, 2012 - PRLog -- Royston, UK (27th March 2012) – After the successful launch of Pico-Surf™ surfactants earlier this year, Dolomite, a world leader in the design and manufacture of microfluidic systems and devices, has announced the release of Pico-Glide™, a novel surface coating agent facilitating advances in droplet microfluidics.

Developed by Sphere Fluidics Limited, Pico-Glide™ is the latest addition to Dolomite’s range of Specialist Chemicals which includes general oils and surfactants, interface stabilisation agents as well as surface coating agents. The easy-to-use agent is suitable for treatment of both glass and PDMS microfluidic channels to create a uniform and dense fluorophilic layer ensuring improved droplet performance and stability.

Available in 5ml, 10ml and 25ml, Pico-Glide™ can be used together with Dolomite’s range of Droplet Junction Chips benefiting a wide range of applications including biotechnology, DNA analysis and cell studies.


For further information on Dolomite’s Specialist Chemicals as well as the complete portfolio of microfluidic products including chips, connectors/ interconnects, pumps, valves and custom devices please visit www.dolomite-microfluidics.com.



Editor’s Note

Sphere Fluidics Limited
Sphere Fluidics is commercialising new lab-on-a-chip and picodroplet technology from Cambridge University that can perform thousands of simultaneous reactions on single cells and small populations of molecules contained within aqueous droplets, fractions of a millimetre in size. This platform enables diverse applications including rapid discovery of specific antibodies identification of novel cell lines (e.g. algal, hybridoma or microbial) and generation of new (bio)catalysts. Sphere Fluidics has established commercial partnerships, won several waves of investment and together the Scientific Founders of Sphere and the Company has received over £8 million in research and business funding to date. The company also recently won the "Killer Technology" award by the UK’s Business Weekly.
Sphere’s leadership team includes:
Professor Chris Abell, Company Founder and Director: Based in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Cambridge, Professor Chris Abell’s research is primarily focussed on developing picodroplets as an experimental platform, and pioneering new approaches to drug discovery.
Professor Wilhelm Huck, Company Founder and Director: Professor Huck has extensive experience in picodroplet research. He is the author of over 50 publications on picodroplets and soft lithography and recently won the 2010 European Research Council Advanced Grant on "Microdroplets in Microfluidics".
Dr Frank F. Craig, CEO and Director: Dr Craig has around 15 years of international, general management experience gained from GlaxoSmithKline, Amersham Biosciences (as a Vice-President of R&D) and several successful start-up firms. He has a PhD in Cell Biology and Microbiology from Glasgow University and an MBA from Warwick Business School.
For more information please visit www.spherefluidics.com

The Dolomite Centre Limited
Established in 2005 as the world’s first Microfluidic Application Centre, Dolomite focused on working with customers to turn their concepts for microfluidic applications into reality. Today, Dolomite is the world leader in solving microfluidic problems. With offices in the UK and US and distributors throughout the rest of the world, its clients range from universities developing leading-edge analytical equipment, to manufacturers of chemical, life sciences and clinical diagnostics systems.
Dolomite is pioneering the use of microfluidic devices for small-scale fluid control and analysis, enabling manufacturers to develop more compact, cost-effective and powerful instruments. By combining specialist glass, quartz and ceramic technologies with knowledge of high performance microfluidics, Dolomite is able to provide solutions for a broad range of application areas including environmental monitoring, clinical diagnostics, food and beverage, nuclear, agriculture, petrochemical, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and chemicals. Furthermore Dolomite's in-house micro-fabrication facilities that include clean rooms and precision glass processing facilities allow to prototype and test all solutions rapidly which ensures a faster development cycle and reduces the time to market.
For more information please visit www.dolomite-microfluidics.com.