Method of processing a biological and/or chemical sample

A method of processing a biological and/or chemical sample, comprising:

• providing a fluid droplet, said fluid droplet comprising an inner phase and an outer phase,
• wherein the outer phase is immiscible with the inner phase, and the outer phase is surrounding the inner phase as a film, and
• wherein the inner phase comprises said biological and/or chemical sample, and the inner phase is shielded from the environment by the outer phase, and
• wherein said fluid droplet comprises magnetically attractable matter;
• providing at least one surface, the surface being of such a texture and such a wettability for the fluid of said inner phase of the fluid droplet, that the fluid droplet remains intact upon being contacted therewith;
• disposing said fluid droplet onto said at least one surface;
• exposing said liquid droplet to a magnetic or an electromagnetic field, thereby controlling the position of said liquid droplet relative to said at least one surface;
• and
• performing a process on the biological and/or chemical sample in said fluid droplet.

A method of forming a fluid droplet, which comprises an inner phase, an outer phase and at least one magnetically attractable particle, said method comprising

• providing a first fluid,
• providing a second fluid that is immiscible with the first fluid,
• contacting the first fluid and the second fluid, thereby forming a fluid droplet comprising an inner phase and an outer phase, the first fluid forming the inner phase, surrounded by the second fluid forming the outer phase,
• providing at least one magnetically attractable particle,
• disposing said at least one magnetically attractable particle into the fluid droplet,
• wherein said magnetically attractable particle comprises a ligand that is capable of binding target matter suspected to be comprised in a biological and/or chemical sample.