Research Overview
Dragos Amarie and Brittney Green use the exposure system in the clean room.
Kelly Rask analyzes sample dispensing on a microfluidic device.
Nate Rawlinson images polymer features (pillars) with the scanning electron microscope.
Our research focuses on developing miniature instrumentation and using this instrumentation to study various chemical and biochemical problems. We are currently pursuing projects which fall into three general areas: (1) high performance separations, (2) cell-based assays, and (3) nanofluidics. Below is a brief description of these projects, and please contact us if you would like additional information.
High Performance Separations. For liquid phase analysis, microfluidic devices are capable of executing a number of assays including high efficiency separations. The dexterity with which materials can be manipulated and the ability to fabricate structures with channels having small volume interconnects contribute to the high performance of these devices. In several examples, electrokinetically driven separations on microfluidic devices have generated efficiencies measured per unit length similar to or exceeding that of conventional capillary separations. We are currently investigating the use of microfluidic devices for one- and two-dimensional separation techniques that will shorten analysis times and concurrently improve the peak capacity, accuracy, and reproducibility compared to conventional techniques. With this improved separative performance, the ability to analyze small quantities of peptides, proteins, and glycans is possible which, in turn, can be applied to studying the onset and proliferation of various diseases.
Cell-Based Assays. Monitoring cells under normal and adverse conditions is important for understanding cell function. A variety of cell screening techniques have been used to study intra- and intercellular phenomena, but a drawback to many of these assays is low throughput, making statistics difficult to obtain for moderate to large cell populations. Microfluidic devices serve as a convenient platform for single cell assays where high throughput is sought. The devices play a key role in handling small quantities of material, delivering those materials to different locations within the device, and controlling the movement of cells within the channels. The ability to precisely control reagent concentrations temporally and spatially on the microfluidic devices helps determine the level of cellular response to different compounds and the minimum concentrations that induce a response. We are presently exploring biofilm formation and bacteria chemotaxis on microfluidic devices.
Nanofluidics. Device miniaturization has led to a number of advantages, which include executing fast, efficient, high throughput assays, integrating multiple sample processing steps, and fabricating highly parallel device architectures. As devices continue to shrink and approach the nanometer length scale, we must address issues regarding the feasibility and practicality of these systems and determine which lessons from the microscale extrapolate to the nanometer regime. To develop functional nanofluidic systems, we are fabricating and evaluating in-plane (nanochannel) devices where material transport is parallel to the device surface. We are comparing the function and performance of these devices with out-of-plane (nanopore) devices where material transport is perpendicular to the device surface.