Security Implications of Cyberphysical Flow-Based Microfluidic Biochips

Flow-based microfluidic biochips are revolutionizing biochemical research by automating complex protocols and reducing sample and reagent consumption. Integration of these biochips with sensors, actuators, and intelligent control have compounded these benefits while increasing reliability. And, many flow-based platforms have successfully transitioned to the marketplace, demonstrating their utility through several recent scientific publications. However, these microfluidic technologies and platforms have unintended security and trust implications that threaten their continued success. We survey cyberphysical flow-based microfluidic platforms and perform a security assessment. We then describe an attack on digital polymerase chain reactions and how such attacks undermine research integrity.