Microfluidics and the life sciences.

The field of microfluidics, often also referred to as "Lab-on-a-Chip" has made significant progress in the last 15 years and is an essential tool in the development of new products and protocols in the life sciences. This article provides a broad overview on the developments on the academic as well as the commercial side. Fabrication technologies for polymer-based devices are presented and a strategy for the development of complex integrated devices is discussed, together with an example on the use of these devices in pathogen detection.