Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the identification of a first microorganism potentially secreting an effector compound, said first microorganism thereby having either i. an inhibitory effect on the cell division activity of a second microorganism or ii. an enhancing effect on the cell division activity of a second microorganism, the method comprising: a. providing a cell from a first microorganism which potentially produces an effector compound of interest and a cell from a second detector microorganism; b. introducing both cells into a microdroplet for incubation; c. introducing the microdroplet into a microfluidic system; d. analyzing in said microfluidic system the cell of the second microorganism for the exhibition of an enhanced growth effect or the exhibition of an inhibited growth effect stemming from said effector compound. The invention also relates to a microorganism or effector compound identified by the method according to the invention.

Abstract: The invention relates to a microfluidic system in which the droplets flow through an off-chip delay line in a linear sequential order. This ensures that all the droplets are incubated for the same amount of time and under the same conditions as they flow through the delay line. The invention further relates to the use of this microfluidic system for high throughput screening methods or in vitro evolution methods.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the identification of a first microorganism potentially secreting an effector compound, said first microorganism thereby having either i. an inhibitory effect on the cell division activity of a second microorganism or ii. an enhancing effect on the cell division activity of a second microorganism, the method comprising: a. providing a cell from a first microorganism which potentially produces an effector compound of interest and a cell from a second detector microorganism; b. introducing both cells into a microdroplet for incubation; c. introducing the microdroplet into a microfluidic system; d. analyzing in said microfluidic system the cell of the second microorganism for the exhibition of an enhanced growth effect or the exhibition of an inhibited growth effect stemming from said effector compound. The invention also relates to a microorganism or effector compound identified by the method according to the invention.

Abstract: A method for the analysis of microorganisms, which produce a compound, the method comprising: a. providing a microorganism which produces a compound of interest and a detector microorganism which comprises a reporter gene or reporter gene operon, wherein the microorganism producing said compound of interest and the detector microorganism are combined into single droplets, wherein each droplet comprises at least one cell of each strain; b. subjecting the droplets to a microfluidic system; c. analyzing the droplets for the activation of the reporter gene of the detector strain; d. sorting and collecting the droplets comprising the detector microorganism with expressed reporter gene.