5. Labs on a chip

It's just a short step from DNA, protein, sugar or cell biochips to lab-on-chip. The concept of lab-on-chip emerged in the early 1990s, at the same time as DNA chips. These systems integrate all stages of biological analysis, from sample recovery and preparation (cell separation, DNA extraction, PCR, gel migration, labeling, etc.) to signal detection and results (figure 15 ).

However, laboratories-on-a-chip are still complex to manufacture....