Researchers at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) have developed a microchip that can perform more than 1,000 experiments at the same time.  These scientists have labeled the chip process as based on microfluidics, or the channeling of minute amounts of liquids and chemicals. The chip is designed to be plugged into a computer so chemists can automatically perform multiple chemical reactions on the chip.

UCLA researchers claim they have produced a chip capable of conducting 1,024 reactions simultaneously, which the scientists used to identify inhibitors to the enzyme bovine carbonic anhydrase.  A large number of reagents were automatically mixed together and sampled on the chip, which enabled an incredible number of experiments to be completed in "a few hours," according to a UCLA spokesperson.

The reactions were performed with in situ click chemistry, a technique used to identify which molecules will bind to protein enzymes to produce an effect in a cell. The experiment data were then analyzed offline, using mass spectrometry, a process that researchers hope to automate in the future.

"The precious enzyme molecules required for a single in situ click reaction in a traditional lab now can be split into hundreds of duplicates for performing hundreds of reactions in parallel, thus revolutionizing the laboratory process, reducing reagent consumption and accelerating the process for identifying potential drug candidates," said researcher Hsian-Rong Tseng, an Associate Professor of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology at UCLA.

The research paper, which is titled "An integrated microfluidic device for large-scale in situ click chemistry screening,” is currently available online.  Researchers are hopeful that the simultaneous experiments will be useful in identifying drugs that to combat cancer and other types of diseases.