Many researchers are developing lab-on-a-chip devices that can be used to identify viruses, chemicals, or chromosomal aberrations using just a drop of blood, writes Alok Jha at The Guardian. "The platform blurs nanotechnology, biotechnology, and micro-electronics. And it is not specific to medicine," he says. The advantage of this approach is that not only can it be done outside of a lab, but it also requires small samples.