Miniaturization is the process of scaling down assays to reduce the total volume. Advances in this technology have resulted in its increasing popularity. Miniaturization provides many advantages over traditional experimental workflows, including decreasing the volumes of reagents and samples required (and thus saving money), reducing the risk of manual error through automation, and enabling experiment scalability through improved cost-efficiency and increased data reproducibility. This blog will explore how miniaturization is being applied to various areas of scientific research and healthcare.
Modern drug discovery requires the high-throughput screening of thousands of compounds to identify potential drug candidates1. The miniaturization of assays facilitates high-throughput screening by enabling these assays to be carried out using a fraction of the reagent and compound volume. Prior to the use of miniaturization, the scaling up of assays would have high costs, both regarding the use of large volumes of reagents and having to use up precious compound samples2. Miniaturization provides a route to scaling up assays and increases screening capacity by reducing reagent consumption, minimizing the waste of compounds being tested, and cutting costs3.
Toxicity testing is also improved using miniaturization, as only a small volume of the compound is required for testing, resulting in decreased expenditure and even a reduction in the length of the study4. Organ-on-chip technologies further extend the use of miniaturization in drug discovery. These act as miniaturized human organs enabling drug discovery at a miniature level and reducing reliance on animal testing5.
Specialist liquid handling solutions are necessary to maintain accuracy in miniaturized high-throughput screening. The I.DOT Liquid Handler (Fig. 1) has been specifically designed for high-throughput screening, accurately dispensing volumes as low as 4 nL with only 1 μL of dead volume.
Figure 1. The I.DOT Liquid Handler is optimized for use in high-throughput screening and can dispense very small volumes of reagents to enable the miniaturization of assays.
Miniaturization is improving PCR and next-generation sequencing (NGS) workflows. Reaction volumes can be reduced by as much as 10-fold, which, when carrying out high-throughput reactions with thousands of samples, can save users a significant amount of money6. The miniaturization of RNAseq led one research group to cost savings as high as 86% while maintaining accuracy and reproducibility7.
Miniaturization is also improving antibody-based protein assays. The concentration of target proteins through miniaturization enables stronger signals and increased assay sensitivity while also decreasing sample consumption – in one study, sensitivity was improved by a factor of 2-10 when using assay miniaturization in combination with signal enhancement techniques8. In addition, miniaturization improves antibody-antigen binding efficiency and decreases the overall time taken for the assay9.
Combining miniaturization with automation can further enhance cost savings. For example, DISPENDIX’s G.PREP NGS Automation technologies automate 90% of the NGS workflow and enable miniaturization to as low as 1/10th of the manufacturer-suggested volume. The savings that your lab could make can be calculated using DISPENDIX’s G.PREP ROI calculator.
Synthetic biology involves the engineering of metabolic pathways and genetic elements to generate organisms or cells with desired abilities10. Miniaturization is growing in popularity in this field as a way to reduce reaction volumes and thereby minimize reagent consumption11. Miniaturization also allows parallel processing, whereby multiple reactions can be carried out simultaneously. In this way, the integration of oligo synthesis, amplification, and gene assembly has been demonstrated on a single chip12. Therefore, miniaturization can increase throughput and minimize the amount of time taken in synthesis workflows.
Miniaturization enables the production of increasingly cost-efficient clinical diagnostics. The reduction in the volume of sample required also preserves precious specimens obtained from patients, enabling their use in a wider range of diagnostic assays (Fig. 2). The development of rapid, small-scale diagnostic assays has increased the portability of diagnostic devices whereby the tests can be carried out away from centralized laboratories, improving point-of-care testing13,14.
Further innovations, not only in assay miniaturization but also in engineering miniaturization, have led to the development of lab-on-a-chip technology. These devices use microfluidics to control the movements of very small volumes of reactants and samples through the chip15. The miniaturization of assays and various laboratory functions enables a range of clinical applications, including diagnostics, to be carried out on this one small device. For example, one study developed a microfluidic immunoassay platform using miniaturization techniques to test for HIV. This platform required minimal reagents and a low sample volume, thus saving money and conserving sample16.
Figure 2. Precious patient samples are conserved in miniaturization reactions as only a small sample volume input is required. (Source)
Miniaturization is revolutionizing multiple areas of biological research and healthcare. The ability to minimize reagent and sample volumes results in reduced costs and enhanced scalability, enabling the use of high-throughput techniques. Miniaturization is becoming increasingly popular in various fields, including drug discovery, genomics and proteomics, synthetic biology, and diagnostics, due to its provision of cost-effective solutions without compromising on accuracy and precision. DISPENDIX is advancing the transformation of workflows (enabled by the combination of miniaturization and automation) by providing miniaturization solutions and accurate liquid handling tools.
Discover how DISPENDIX can enhance precision, efficiency, and reproducibility in your lab through our miniaturization technology. Download the I.DOT brochure or the G.PREP brochure and take the next step in transforming your workflows!