The
next
time
you
offer
an
arm
to
give
vials
of
blood
for
tests,
think
about
Dongqing
Li,
a
mechanical
and
mechatronics
engineering
professor.
Li
develops
various
microfluidic
devices,
one
of
which
requires
only
a
tiny
sample
of
blood
to
get
results.
How
tiny?
“Instead
of
millilitres,
we’re
using
nanolitres,”
he
says.
The
technology
is
also
lightning
fast.
Instead
of
hours,
days
or
weeks
to
get
results,
Li
talks
about
minutes
and
seconds
since
the
duration
of
the
biochemical
reaction
is
proportional
to
the
number
of
molecules
to
be
treated.
Fewer
–
a
lot
fewer
–
molecules
equal
real-time
solutions.
His
lab-on-a-chip
technologies
are
so
small
and
inexpensive
compared
to
a
conventional
bio-medical
lab
in
a
hospital
that
Li
predicts
they
will
eventually
change
how
blood
samples
are
taken
and
read.
Instead
of
wheeling
vials
of
blood
down
to
a
hospital
lab
a
handheld
machine
would
be
in
the
room
with
the
patient
or
steps
away.
Now
a
varied
number
of
industries
are
clamoring
to
talk
to
Li.
The
Canada
Food
Safety
Research
Centre
wants
his
technology
to
identify
bacteria
in
food
samples.
Meanwhile,
a
large,
Toronto-based
infertility
clinic
wants
it
to
find
ways
to
increase
its
pregnancy
success
rates.
“I
think
this
is
a
very
promising
area,”
says
Li.
“We’re
not
just
providing
fundamental
research,
we’ll
be
providing
technology
benefits
to
Canadian
society
as
a
whole.”
Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering Professor