Abstract: The present invention discloses a method for fusing or contacting reactor and reagent droplets in a three-phase microfluidic or millifluidic system with one of the phases being continuous, in which the reagent droplet is injected in the droplet train before it coalesces or contacts with the reactor droplet. More specifically, the reagent droplet detaches from the reagent inlet before being in contact with the reactor droplet. The method of the invention involves two successive but not concomitant steps: first producing in the droplet train a droplet of a reagent which breaks-up from the reagent reservoir before the second step of merging. The invention also discloses a milli/microfluidic device whose equivalent circuit is represented on FIG. 11.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a method for fusing or contacting reactor and reagent droplets in a three-phase microfluidic or millifluidic system with one of the phases being continuous, in which the reagent droplet is injected in the droplet train before it coalesces or contacts with the reactor droplet. More specifically, the reagent droplet detaches from the reagent inlet before being in contact with the reactor droplet. The method of the invention involves two successive but not concomitant steps: first producing in the droplet train a droplet of a reagent which breaks-up from the reagent reservoir before the second step of merging. The invention also discloses a milli/microfluidic device whose equivalent circuit is represented on FIG. 11.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a novel method for cultivating micro-organisms by confinement in micro-bioreactors. Said method comprises using a capillary tube in which a carrier fluid for moving a train of droplets forward flows, said capillary tube comprising micro-bioreactors in which the culture of said micro-organisms takes place, wherein said micro-bioreactors are separated by a spacing fluid which is a gas. The diameter of the micro-bioreactors (5) is smaller than that of the capillary tube (8) and the size of the bubble (6) of said spacing fluid is within a range of two to ten times the diameter of said capillary tube (8). The method can be used for cultivating micro-organisms such as thread-like fungi or planktonic algae.