Our research is focused on Droplet Microarray (DMA) Technology, which consists of an array of hydrophilic spots on a superhydrophobic background. This is achieved through chemical modifications of various surfaces and coatings. Due to the extreme difference in wettability between hydrophilic and superhydrophobic areas, it is possible to form arrays of stable nanoliter droplets on a completely planar surface without any physical barriers. These nanoliter droplet arrays offer a novel and miniaturized approach to conducting high-throughput biological screenings on a nanoliter scale, thereby opening up new possibilities in the realm of advanced scientific research and discovery.

We develop various workflows and read-out techniques for performing high-class, advanced biological screenings on the DMA platform. Our developed methods include low-input proteomics from the chip, differential gene expression analysis from the chip, label-free real-time monitoring of cell behavior on the chip using electrode arrays, and others. Additionally, we focus on developing workflows and robotics for handling nanoliter volumes, enabling various multiplex and complex workflows necessary for facilitating novel discoveries using DMA technology.

Functional precision medicine through experimentally testing the response of patient-derived cancer cells to anti-cancer therapy in vitro, so-called Drug Sensitivity and Resistance Test (DSRT), has the potential to help identify a suitable therapy for each individual cancer. The main obstacle to establishing this test in clinics is the limited number of patient material, especially for solid types of tumours. This challenge could be addressed by drastic miniaturisation of DSRT on the DMA chips, with possibility for different cell culture models (2D, 3D via spheroids & hydrogels, co-culture), paving the way for the development of DSRT products that eventually can be routinely applied as functional prognostic tests for personalised oncology clinical care.