SALAMI : Sapphire and diAmond LAb-on-a-chip MIcrofluidics: microreactors for extreme conditions experimentation

Extreme conditions, i.e. high pressures, high temperature (HP/HT) or harsh chemical environments are extremely difficult to study and to observe undisturbed in the field and to replicate in the laboratory. This critically slows down the rate of discoveries both for several industrial processes or in environmental sciences. New types of transparent reactors are needed to implement fast-screening to speed up experimentations in harsh conditions. While microfluidics could address these limitations, current solutions do not propose simultaneously high pressure / high temperature capability, chemical inertness and transparency.A new microfabrication technology developed in the ERC CoG BIG MAC project, allowed the development of an innovative microfluidics platform made out of sapphire for pioneered applications in HP microbiology and bioprocesses (in-situ characterisation of geo- and HP- bioprocesses over a broad range of pressures (< 300 bar) and temperatures ( 700C). These microfluidic reactors will be highly disruptive because they are both uniquely transparent and resistant to harsh pressure, temperature and chemical conditions. The ERC PoC SALAMI project will extend the frontiers of microfluidics with market-ready extreme conditions plug-and-play and user-friendly lab-on-a-chip for lab-scale and field-based non-specialist applications. It will enable measurements in extreme environments in multiple areas that do not currently benefit from microfluidics, thus opening new lines of questioning for research and simplified and cost effective diagnostic tools for industry, while HP/HT technologies miniaturisation and fast screening capability can greatly reduce costs for process optimisation.