Theranos&#x27; area of interest, diagnostic microfluidics, is nothing exotic or new to the giants in the diagnostic industry.<p>I spent a number of years with one major company in this field, and back in the 1990s they already had a decade of R&amp;D, and countless millions of dollars, invested in this area.  It was a difficult area of research back then and it continues to be.<p>The idea that one scientist could come up with a concept to outsmart those companies is certainly possible and makes a very compelling investor story.  But the reality is probably a little bit different.