Surface tension can sort droplets for biomedical applications

Surface tension can sort droplets for biomedical applications: A team led by Colorado State University's Arun Kota has engineered a simple and inexpensive device that can sort droplets of liquid based solely on the liquids' varying surface tensions.  They used Tunable Superomniphobic Surfaces for Sorting Droplets by Surface Tension that could make a wide range of biomedical applications using a Lab-on-a-Chip like device.  BAM!
 

The Maragoni Effect

Link to article: http://cen.acs.org/articles/94/web/2016/07/new-twist-common-lab-tool.html

In Analytical Chemistry Journal researchers led by Jose L. Garcia-Cordero et al from Center for Research and Advanced Studies at the National Polytechnic Institute in Monterrey, Mexico, reported that they designed an alternative that uses microsized pillars instead of wells as a bioassay technique.  An enzyme solution is added to a pillar and concentration by evaporation.  A sample solution (substrate) is added whereby the enzyme reacts to produce a product.  Surface tension keeps the droplet in place and the Maragoni effect where liquid flows to areas of higher surface tension helps the protein and the substrate mix. These Maragoni currents can be used for colorimetric assays as the evaporation is necessary for the reaction to occur.  Possibly it could be an advantage over plate-readers if the they could have faster reaction times or are dealing with substrates or proteins that might degrade or oxidize over a short time period.

The Ouzo Effect under the magnifying glass

The Ouzo Effect under the magnifying glass: Pour some water into your glass of ouzo or pastis, and the beverage will change from transparent to milky: this is the well-known 'Ouzo effect'. But what will happen if you simply place a drop of ouzo on a surface and wait? Scientists have studied the phenomena taking place, and distinguish four 'life phases' of the drop, within no more than a quarter of an hour.

Inverted Cereal Effect

How your breakfast cereal has some physics in it....a combination of surface tension, gravity and good cereal like Cheerios (better than Fruit Loops)

Read about it on New York Times:

http://nyti.ms/29F729D