IDR: ECCS - EPDT: Ultra high-throughput holographic on-chip cytometry using inertial micro-fluidics

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"This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5)."0930501OzcanFlow cytometry is a workhorse of modern cell biology and clinical diagnostics, but suffers from three significant downsides: (i) limited throughput; (ii) high cost; and (iii) challenges towards miniaturization while still keeping its throughput. Addressing these limitations is likely to increase the availability and application areas of cytometers, significantly transforming biomedical research and clinical analysis. In this proposal, to address the existing limitations of cell analysis platforms, the aim is to (1) Integrate inertial microfluidic focusing with an on-chip holographic imaging platform; and (2) Test the performance of this integrated system for conducting complete blood counts with white blood cell differentials. Given its compact and cost-effective design without sheath fluids or lenses, together with its ultra-large throughput, and unique holographic information content, the proposed on-chip cytometry platform is poised to have a transformative impact for stem cell, immunology & cancer related research, as well as clinical diagnostics especially in resource limited or point-of-care settings.This proposal will also establish a complementary educational outreach program which will involve high school students from a predominantly underprivileged and socio-economically impacted neighborhood of San Fernando Valley, CA. Summer research projects, seminars and open house visits will serve the high school students to interact with a cutting edge research environment, helping to increase their scientific curiosity and shaping their career goals in science and engineering. Furthermore, during the timeline of this proposal, to better contribute to the development, recruitment, retention, and graduation of underrepresented engineering students on UCLA campus, several undergraduate research opportunities will be created to supplement the existing activities of the PI's in this regard. Finally, a new graduate level course titled "Lab-on-a-Chip Photonics"; will be developed, which aims to integrate "knowledge"; and "design"; aspects of engineering education into a single course.