Project

Microfluidics

A major challenge for the development of novel biosensors is packaging the sensor for a specific application or experiment. The use of microfluidic systems in conjunction with microfabricated sensors promises advantages over traditional benchtop biology, including small-volume analyte consumption and higher throughput. Using rapid prototyping processes in this lab and in the microfabrication facility on campus, we develop microfluidic systems in silicon, glass, cast polymers, and laser-cut plastics. These include parallel channel arrays that allow rapid typing of many analytes, small volume fluidic cells that incorporate electrical contacts, and microcapillaries for functionalizing microfabricated biosensors.