A microfluidics-based approach to drug discovery

Microorganisms are indispensable resources for the discovery of life-saving antibiotics, immunosuppressants, and antitumor drugs. Genome sequencing projects did not only confirm the metabolic prowess of bacteria and fungi for the production of such compounds, but they also unveiled a huge potential for the discovery of as yet untapped chemical diversity. In the past decade, various strategies have been explored to access the metabolites from orphan biosynthetic pathways, among which the empirical alteration of growth conditions is particularly appealing due to its simplicity and broad applicability. In order to avoid extensive and time-consuming screening programs, a miniaturization of this cultivation-based approach is highly desirable.