Exploring Microfluidics at the Synchrotron Soleil with Gabriel David

What is Synchrotron Soleil?

Synchrotron Soleil (often simply Soleil) is France’s national synchrotron‐radiation facility, located at the Saclay plateau (Saint-Aubin, Île-de-France).
It is both a large‐scale scientific infrastructure (an electron accelerator and storage ring) and a research laboratory / user‐facility open to scientists and industry.
The facility is operated by a non-profit civil company whose main shareholders are the Centre national de la recherche scientifique (CNRS) and the Commissariat à l’énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA).

How does it work?

Synchrotron Soleil produces extremely bright, highly collimated photon beams which are then used in many experimental techniques. The generation of synchrotron radiation is obtained with the following steps:

1. Electron creation
Electrons are stripped from a small tungsten pellet and accelerated in the LINAC (Linear Accelerator) to reach 100 MeV. They travel through a high-vacuum tube to prevent collisions with air molecules.

2. Acceleration to full energy
The electron beam enters the Booster ring, where its energy increases with each turn to 2.75 GeV. Powerful electric and magnetic fields guide, focus, and stabilize the electrons.

3. Storage and light emission
The electrons are stored in a 354 m storage ring and circulate close to the speed of light. When deflected by magnets, they emit intense synchrotron radiation (light ranging from infrared to X-rays) directed toward the experimental beamlines.

4. Beamlines and experiments
This light is distributed to 29 beamlines, each operating independently. Optical systems shape and filter the radiation before it interacts with samples in experiments, enabling cutting-edge analysis of materials, molecules, and biological structures down to the atomic scale.

What is it used for?

Synchrotron Soleil is used for fundamental research, applied science, and industrial applications across a broad range of disciplines:

• Fundamental science: Many fields of research use the synchrotron, whether in physics (e.g., magnetism, condensed matter), chemistry, materials science, earth and environmental sciences or life sciences (biology, structural biology). The beamlines allow researchers to explore atomic and molecular scale structure, dynamics, spectroscopy, imaging.
• Industrial use: Because of its advanced capabilities, the facility supports studies of new materials, micro-electronics, nanotechnologies, chemical processes, pharmaceuticals, environmental monitoring, cultural heritage (archaeology, art) etc.
• Service platform for users: Researchers from France and abroad, as well as companies, can submit proposals for beam-time access. The facility thus acts as an open platform to deliver unique instrumentation and expertise not available in standard labs.

The people that make Synchrotron Soleil work – Dr Gabriel David

At the heart of this advanced ecosystem is Gabriel David, head of the two Biolabs at Soleil and responsible for microfluidic R&D on site. A biochemist and biophysicist by training, Gabriel has dedicated over 15 years to developing microfluidic environments tailored to synchrotron applications. His mission: to help scientists prepare, stabilize, and analyze delicate biological samples under the most controlled conditions possible.

“At Soleil, we use the synchrotron beam, an extremely intense and brilliant photon beam, to analyze samples from many different fields. Microfluidics allows us to precisely control these samples, reduce volumes, and maintain their integrity during analysis.”

Within the Biolabs, visiting researchers can prepare macromolecules or bacterial samples before their beamline experiments. Complementing these spaces, a dedicated microfluidic lab enables chip design, fabrication, and testing, ensuring that each setup can operate seamlessly under synchrotron conditions, from solution flow to environmental control.

For fluid handling, Gabriel relies on Elveflow’s pressure-based flow controllers, particularly the OB1 system, which allows smooth, pulsation-free control essential for delicate biological samples.

“The main advantage of pressure control is that the sample never passes through a pump. It’s a clean, direct, and gentle way to generate flow, ideal for fragile biological systems or reactive chemical reagents.”

Among the ongoing projects at Soleil are microfluidic systems for cell encapsulation and cryoconservation toward gene therapy, as well as the development of liquid microjets under vacuum for chemical analysis. In both cases, pressure-driven flow control is key to achieving stable, reproducible, and contamination-free experiments.

Looking ahead, Gabriel envisions microfluidics playing an even larger role in Soleil 2, the upcoming upgrade of the synchrotron:

“Future experiments will require smaller, more precise setups and microfluidics will naturally be part of this evolution.”

He concludes with a recommendation for Elveflow’s technology:

“The on/off control is unique compared to syringe or peristaltic pumps, and the software is intuitive and reliable. For synchrotron applications, Elveflow makes a real difference.”

Discover the full video interview and contact us if you would like to promote your research!

How to generate droplets with Elveflow

Droplet microfluidics enables the creation of uniform, precisely controlled microdroplets, miniature reaction vessels ideal for biological and chemical studies. With Elveflow’s pressure-based flow control systems, droplets are generated by injecting two immiscible fluids (typically oil and water phases) into a microfluidic chip. The pressure applied by the OB1 flow controller ensures stable, pulse-free flow, allowing the fluids to meet at a junction (such as a T-junction or flow-focusing geometry) where the dispersed phase is pinched off into highly monodisperse droplets.
By adjusting the pressure values, users can easily tune droplet size, frequency, and composition, achieving precise and reproducible conditions for encapsulating cells, reagents, or nanoparticles. It is a key advantage for synchrotron-based experiments where sample stability and reproducibility are essential.

Learn more about Elveflow’s Easy Droplet Generation Pack →