A method of making solid beads is disclosed, said method comprising: (i)providing a microfluidic device comprisinga carrier fluid conduit and a functional fluid conduit which meet at ajunction region (ii) providing a laminar flow of a functionalfluid comprising a solvent and a solute along the functional fluid conduit andproviding a laminar flow of a carrier fluidalong the carrier fluid conduit so as to form droplets of functional fluid ina flow of carrier fluid (iii) cooling the segments offunctional fluid in a conduit of the microfluidic device to form cooled(preferably frozen) droplets and (iv) providing a liquid intointimate admixture with the cooled droplets so as to cause said solvent toexit said cooled droplets, thus forming solid beads. Amicrofluidic device for use in such a method is also disclosed.
