Microfluidic landscapes for evolution

Evolution at its heart is an iterative algorithm composed of three steps: selection, amplification and mutagenesis. This algorithm can be applied to complex inputs such as populations of whole organisms and viruses, or mixtures of bare nucleic acids and proteins. The output is the same: evolutionary adaptation of new and improved function subject to selection. Recent breakthroughs in microfluidic technology have introduced automation and process monitoring to in vitro evolution, and reproducible preparation of emulsions and other multi-phase reaction landscapes. It is at this intersection of compartmentalization and in vitro evolution where miniaturization is again redefining experimental design in contemporary chemistry and biology.