This modified microfluidic platform is an improvement over previously developed ones that have been developed for measurement of insulin secretion from islets in that it allows for comparable single islet measurements and high temporal resolution monitoring. The microfluidic system enabled quantitative, inter-islet comparisons of insulin secretion rates, as well as the observation of dynamic patterns of release, in the study of the effects of branched fatty acid esters of hydroxy fatty acids (FAHFA).