Microfluidics and Its Applications

Undergraduate / Graduate

Precision control of fluids at the micrometer scale (hence microfluidics) provides unprecedented capabilities in manipulation and analysis of cells and proteins. Moreover, fluids and particles behave in fundamentally different ways when confined to small dimensions, making microfluidics an interesting topic of basic research. This course aims to provide students with theoretical knowledge and practical skills on the use of microfluidics for the manipulation and analysis of physical, chemical, and biological systems. We will first survey theoretical concepts regarding microfluidics. We will then focus on design considerations and fabrication methods for multi-layer microfluidic chips using PDMS soft-lithography. We will learn how to fabricate, multiplex, and control PDMS membrane valves and integrate them into high-throughput analytical systems. We will survey recent developments in microfluidics and its scientific and industrial applications. Biological systems analysis in cell sorting, culture, cell signaling, single molecule detection, digital nucleic acid and protein quantification, and biosensing are some of the applications we will cover. This course will have a laboratory component where students will design, fabricate, and use microfluidic devices and therefore acquire hands-on skills in microfluidic engineering.