The 50th edition of the Micro- and Nanoengineering Conference (MNE 2024) was held in Montpellier. As a major event in the micro- and nanotechnology field, this year’s conference attracted 557 attendees from across the globe, with 411 abstracts submitted for review. The conference was opened by the organizing committee member Christophe Vieu from LAAS, Toulouse. The four main tracks of the conference—Methods and Process, Structures and Devices, Biology, and Sustainability—provided a comprehensive view of cutting-edge research and innovations shaping the future of micro- and nanotechnologies.
For the first time, Elveflow had the opportunity to represent microfluidics at the event. We were excited to engage with researchers who were already familiar with microfluidics, as well as those newly exploring its potential. With such a rich history dating back to its inception in Cambridge in 1975, this milestone edition provided a unique platform for knowledge exchange and collaboration.
Come with us on this journey!
Sebastien Toussaint’s (from Université Catholique de Louvain – UCLouvain) keynote emphasized the urgent need for sustainability in Integrated Circuit (ICs) manufacturing. He highlighted how ocean acidification threatens marine life, like sea butterflies, and linked these environmental issues to the tech industry’s scaling challenges, questioning the benefits of the patterning technologies continuously growing. He introduced the cradle to gate 10R strategy— refuse, rethink, repair, refurbish, remanufacture, repurpose, recycle and recover—to address growing e-waste concerns. His talk also explored innovative recycling methods, including bacterial recovery of metals and the reuse of flash memory through thermal annealing.
Takeaway: How can we implement this 10R framework in our technological research?
This very inspiring talk aligns with the 3R principle in animal testing—replace, reduce, and refine—both aiming to minimize waste and improve research’s ethical impact. Microfluidics plays a key role in the 3R strategy by enabling alternatives to animal testing, such as lab-on-a-chip systems that simulate biological processes, helping to reduce the number of animals used in experiments and refine testing methods for greater precision.
José Moran-Mirabal’s (McMaster University) keynote focused on the potential of nanocrystalline cellulose (CNC) as a sustainable and versatile material for advanced applications. Cellulose, the most abundant biomaterial on Earth, can be processed into nanofibers or nanocrystals, which exhibit unique mechanical, optical, and electrical properties. This makes cellulose a valuable resource for fields such as composites, sensors, drug delivery, and optical coatings.
One challenge in using CNC is the complex chemical processes required to modify its surface properties. To address this, Moran-Mirabal introduced triazinyl chemistry, an efficient method to modify CNC for various applications, such as creating hydrophobic or fluorescent cellulose structures.
His team demonstrated how this approach can be applied to super-resolution imaging and developing cellulose aerogels for advanced materials. Additionally, he presented the use of azetidinium chemistry for modifying carboxylated nanocellulose, allowing for greater control over surface functionalization. These modular techniques open new possibilities in biomedicine, 3D printing, and environmental monitoring, offering sustainable alternatives to conventional materials.
Moran-Mirabal’s message emphasized the potential of cellulose-based materials to create eco-friendly, functional materials that can be used across a variety of industries, while also addressing sustainability challenges.
Thank you to everyone who stopped by to chat with us during the coffee breaks and after sessions! It was a pleasure discussing our products with both current clients and potential future collaborators. We hope you enjoyed exploring our flow controllers, flow and pressure sensors, and our microfabrication solutions. We look forward to continuing these conversations and working together on future innovations!
If you didn’t get a chance to meet us, you can contact our experts here!
A wide range of topics in microfluidics and life sciences were addressed. Dr. Loretta L. del Mercato (Cnr-Nanotech) explored stimuli-responsive systems for sensing in cancer research, emphasizing the importance of single-cell analysis for understanding tumor microenvironments. She presented innovative techniques, such as silica particle-based pH sensors and oxygen sensing particles, which enable detailed 3D models of cancer environments and drug interactions. The session also included a presentation by Alexandra Rolland, who discussed liquid biopsy techniques with Smartcatch to isolate circulating tumor cells (CTCs), showcasing how microfluidics can be applied to enhance liquid biology methods.
During the poster session, our OB1 flow controller was featured in the project titled “Passive Flow Dynamics in Nanoimprinted Fluidic Devices for DNA and Nanoparticle Analysis,” presented by Leon Seggering from the Nano-Opto-Fluidics Lab of Hamburg University. The project compared passive flow to pressure-driven flow, giving valuable insights for lab-on-chip applications. This study tends to better understand and improve laser-assisted DNA optical mapping (LADOM), an innovative technique for reading DNA fragments in buffer solution.
By the way, for your future poster and oral presentations, you can now incorporate our OB1 flow controller and MUX distribution valve icons available on BioRender!
Check below!
The presentations at MNE 2024 highlighted the importance of thinking differently in micro- and nanoengineering research. We loved creative projects like the Corallum Fabrica (Dr. Elise Rigot), an open-source science project to preserve and understand coral ecosystems to utilizing x-ray tomography and 3D models. It’s clear that innovative solutions can address complex global challenges in new ways. These talks emphasized how creativity in design, like the application of thermal anemometers for vertical farming (Thomas Hackett), can lead to breakthroughs in sustainability, agriculture, and environmental protection. As micro- and nanoengineering continues to evolve, adopting fresh perspectives and exploring unconventional approaches will be essential for solving the pressing issues of our time, reinforcing the need for interdisciplinary collaboration and forward-thinking research.
Thank you to everyone who took the time to connect with us at MNE 2024. It was a pleasure meeting both current collaborators and new faces interested in microfluidics and discussing how our technologies can support your research. We appreciate the opportunity to exchange ideas, share insights, and explore future collaborations. We look forward to continuing these conversations and working together to advance innovations in micro- and nanoengineering.
See you next time!
For any help to determine what microfluidic instruments you need, you can contact us! Our experts will help you build the best microfluidic setup for your application, with our state-of-the-art microfluidic line.
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