Miniaturization of laboratory processes to form micro total analysis systems (microTAS) has recently gained a great deal of attention in academic and industrial research laboratories. In principle, microTAS offers multiple advantages over bench-top instruments, such as increased speed of analysis, high-throughput, multiplexing capabilities, portability and significantly lower cost of operation through reduction in sample, reagent, and solvent volumes. All of these features are especially appealing to such areas as genetic analyses, clinical testing, drug discovery, food control, and environmental monitoring. In order to make microfluidic devices more widely available for bioanalytical testing, especially for assays where cross-contamination of the samples is unacceptable, microTASs need to be produced in high volumes at low unit costs so disposability can be realized. These requirements point toward polymers as highly attractive materials for microdevice fabrication. Polymers are generally inexpensive and low-cost fabrication techniques are available for both rapid prototyping and mass production. Polymers also posses a wide range of physical, chemical, and surface properties, which allow for fine tailoring of the chip material to a specific application. Center for Bio-Modular Multi-Scale Systems (CBM2) and Center for Advanced Microstructures and Devices (CAMD), both located on LSU campus, posses the necessary equipment and technical knowledge for rapid prototyping (laser ablation, high-precision micromilling) and midvolume production of polymeric microfluidic devices via replication (hot-embossing, injection molding, and casting) from metal masters fabricated through LiGA or high-precision micromilling.

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Chips and Molds
Fabrication of Polymeric Microfluidic Devices
Microfabrication Capabilities
Microfabrication at LSU-CAMD
Nanofabrication at LSU-South Campus