and expensive equipment. Recently such a cytometer was developed for just $5. Another active area of LOC research is for controlled separation and mixing. In such devices it is possible to quickly diagnose and potentially treat diseases. As mentioned above, a big motivation for development of these is that they can potentially be manufactured at very low cost. One more area of research that is being looked into with regards to LOC is with home security. Automated monitoring of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) is a desired functionality for LOC. If this application becomes reliable, these micro-devices could be installed on a global scale and notify homeowners of potentially dangerous compounds. Plant sciences Lab-on-a-chip devices could be used to characterize pollen tube guidance in Arabidopsis thaliana. Specifically, plant on a chip is a miniaturized device in which pollen tissues and ovules could be incubated for plant sciences studies. See also Biochemical assays Dielectrophoresis: detection of cancer cells and bacteria. Immunoassay: detect bacteria, viruses and cancers based on antigen-antibody reactions. Ion channel screening (patch clamp) Microfluidics Microphysiometry Organ-on-a-chip Real-time PCR: detection of bacteria, viruses and cancers. Testing the safety and efficacy of new drugs, as with lung on a chip Total analysis system References Further reading Books Geschke, Klank & Telleman, eds.: Microsystem Engineering of Lab-on-a-chip Devices, 1st ed, John Wiley & Sons. . (2012) Gareth Jenkins & Colin D Mansfield (eds): Methods in Molecular Biology – Microfluidic Diagnostics, Humana Press, Integrated circuits Laboratory types Nanotechnology Microfluidics Optofluidics