Microfluidics systems for sustainable pharmaceutical manufacturing and biological analysis

The growing accessibility to microfluidics and its proclivity for producing high-quality results have propelled the technology into an area of wide-scale interest; however, this rapid growth has come to a point where it must be matched by inherent sustainable practices to ensure its longevity. The applications of microfluidics are diverse, from medicinal formulation to complex analyte detection, further increasing the need for establishing sustainable methodologies. Factors such as experimental design, time efficiency, and cost viability are all feasible avenues to pursue, with the goal of improving the sustainability of microfluidics, whilst maintaining the previously established quality obtained during the initial growth of microfluidics. A particular focus upon the effective training of the microfluidic operator is highlighted, which can improve the likelihood of experimental success, consequently reducing waste produced. From a sustainability viewpoint, microfluidics is assessed in this chapter, in terms of its environmental, economic, and social factors, for manufacturing and analytical purposes in the pharmaceutical field. The aim of this chapter is to ensure that the future generation of microfluidic users will work with a consideration as to the sustainable impact that will come as consequence of scientific experimentation.