Keck institute has one of the primer micro fluidics research facilities in the US.
The Microfluidics Research Laboratory at KGI is co-directed by Dr. James D. Sterling and Dr. Ali Nadim.
The research performed in the Microfluidics Research Laboratory is aimed at the development of miniaturized systems for biomolecular analysis and manipulation. Miniaturization is critical to the development of high-throughput biomolecular diagnostics and biosensors as it facilitates rapid processing and automation. Interest in miniaturization of these systems has led to the formation of a number of companies and a plethora of research activity around the world involving microfluidic “biochip” development. Biochips are being developed for medical applications in drug discovery and medical treatment (to identify biomolecular targets and test new drugs and treatments) as well as medical diagnostics (to identify genetic characteristics that either predispose an individual to a particular disease or to the utilization of a particular drug).