Microfluidic chips including a gutter to facilitate loading thereof and related methods

A method of loading a microfluidic chip, the method comprising:

• disposing a liquid within a first one of one or more inlet ports of a microfluidic network that includes:
• a test volume;
• one or more flow paths extending between the inlet port(s) and the test volume;
• and
• a gutter disposed along at least a portion of a periphery of the test volume such that fluid from the flow path(s) is not permitted to flow into the gutter without flowing through the test volume, wherein, along the gutter, a depth of the gutter is at least 10% larger than the depth of the test volume at the periphery;
• and
• directing at least a portion of the liquid along a first one of the flow path(s) such that the portion of the liquid flows from the first inlet port, through at least one droplet- generating region in which a minimum cross-sectional area of the first flow path increases along the first flow path to generate droplets of the portion of the liquid, the droplets flow into the test volume, and at least some of the droplets flow into the gutter from the test volume.