Clockwork PCR Including Sample Preparation

For whom the bell tolls: Surface-functionalized superparamagnetic particles emulsified in mineral oil turn a free-standing droplet into a flexible virtual laboratory with (sub)microliter volumes. By using magnetic forces, rare acute monocytic leukaemia cells are extracted from blood, preconcentrated, purified, lysed, and subjected to a real-time PCR in minutes. The PCR works like a clockwork by rotating the droplet over different temperature zones.