Optoelectrical microfluidics as a promising tool in biology

Noncontact robotic particle grippers with trapping, manipulation, and release functions are highly desired in cell biology and microfluidics. Optoelectric techniques combine optical and electrokinetic effects to create thousands of such individually addressable traps. By projecting reconfigurable light patterns, these techniques can concentrate molecules, as well as manipulate, sort, and electroporate cells in a programmable manner. We describe the underlying physical mechanisms and discuss applications in biology and future prospects of these devices.