The photoisomerization of azobenzene has been known for almost 75 years but only
recently has this process been widely applied to biological systems. The central challenge of …

Spatial and temporal control over chemical and biological processes plays a key role in life,
where the whole is often much more than the sum of its parts. Quite trivially, the molecules of …

There is a growing interest in the photoregulation of biological functions, due to the high
level of spatiotemporal precision achievable with light. Additionally, light is non-invasive and …

Cells, the fundamental units of life, orchestrate intricate functions—motility, adaptation,
replication, communication, and self-organization within tissues. Originating from …

Coacervate microdroplets produced by liquid–liquid phase separation have been used as
synthetic protocells that mimic the dynamical organization of membrane‐free organelles in …

Nucleic acid nanomaterials with good biocompatibility, biodegradability, and
programmability have important applications in biomedical field. Nucleic acid nanomaterials …

We have previously used three-dimensional (3D) printing to prepare tissue-like materials in
which picoliter aqueous compartments are separated by lipid bilayers. These printed …

Using light to control liquid motion is a new paradigm for the actuation of microfluidic
systems. We review here the different principles and strategies to induce or control liquid …

Operations (driving, mixing, and handling) with small amounts of liquid usually rely on
complex architectures that involve active (pumps and valves) and passive (channels) …

Isolation of single circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from patients is a very challenging
technique that may promote the process of individualized antitumor therapies. However …