Table 3.

A comparison of the application of two microfluidic platforms with traditional microbiological platforms (culture of bacteria and 16S rRNA sequencing) in microbiological studies.

Platforms		Required Equipment	Advantages	Limitations
Microfluidic intestinal chip		Microscope, microfluidic chip fabrication equipment, microfluidic chip, temperature-controlled cell culture chamber, high-precision temperature controller, humidity control module, micro-volume precision syringe pump, gas mixer, multi-channel reagent automatic switching valve, fully automated cell perfusion system	1. Microfluidic chips can better simulate the growth environment of microorganisms in vivo, with higher accuracy and controllability. 2. Microfluidic chips can establish multiple channels within the chip, enabling different types of microorganisms to be co-cultured on the same chip, thereby better assessing the interactions between microorganisms. 3. Microfluidic chips can achieve co-cultivation of microorganisms with host cells, thereby better simulating the interaction between microorganisms and hosts.	Requires specialized equipment and expertise.
Microfluidic drug delivery system	Microfluidic electrospray technology	Microfluidic chip fabrication equipment, microfluidic electrospray chip, high-voltage power supply, syringe pump, spray needle, solvent reservoir, collection substrate	1. Precise control of droplet size and production rate. 2. High drug loading capacity. 3. Reduced solvent consumption.	Limited by the quality and quantity of the drug solution.
	Droplet microfluidics	Computer, microfluidic chip fabrication equipment, droplet chip, chip holder, liquid storage tank, syringe pump or pressure controller, flow sensor, droplet	1. Precise control of droplet size and production rate. 2. High drug loading capacity.	1. Requires specialized equipment and expertise. 2. Limited by the quality and quantity of the drug solution.
Culture of bacteria		Culture medium, incubator, Petri dishes, bacterial strains	Well-established and widely used.	1. Time-consuming. 2. Limited diversity of microbiota.
16S rRNA sequencing		DNA extraction equipment, PCR device, sequencing device	Can identify and classify microorganisms based on their DNA sequences.	Limited by quality and quantity of DNA samples. Does not provide information on the functional properties of microbiota.