Collaborative Research: Guided Electrowetting for Agile Channel Formation in Reconfigurable Lab-on-a-Chip

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The objective of this research is to collaboratively create an integrated and hybrid lab-on-chip platform that is electronically configured on-demand and maintains its programmed configuration without electrical power. A single chip can access a vast library of microfluidic functions. The approach is balancing 3-D electrowetting and Young-Laplace forces, such that emergent control in microchannel formation and fluid transport can be realized. The intellectual merit is that new scientific models will be developed for electrofluidics. A simple graphical programming of lab-on-chip will be created, and the fields of continuous channel microfluidics and digital electrowetting transport will be united. Furthermore, the lab-on-chip community will be able to leverage the enormous infrastructure for liquid crystal display manufacturing and 4-bit computer interfacing, to deploy highly affordable and agile lab-on-chip products for rapid chemical and biological discovery. Broader impacts include integration of this project with NSF sponsored microfluidics course development, inspiring undergraduates to pursue advanced STEM degrees through the University of Cincinnati?s research co-op program, and continued involvement with NSF REU and RET programs. The significance of this proposed project stems from the need for lab-on-chip to full-fill promises to broadly reduce health-care costs, and provide remote access to patient diagnostics or environmental testing. For example, clinics could perform diagnostic tests such as immunoassays and nucleic acid assays with little laboratory support. Such agile lab-on-chip modules would allow user-defined access to laboratory tasks, all contained in a portable module that could have ergonomics as simple as an i-Phone.