CAREER: Particle Magnetophoresis in Ferrofluid Microflows for Lab-on-a-Chip Applications

1150670 PI：Xuan磁场诱导的粒子操作与其他技术相比简单且便宜（例如，电的、声学的和光学的），其可应用于微流体装置。它是非侵入性的，并且没有几乎所有其他技术都伴随的流体加热问题，因此非常适合处理生物颗粒。然而，传统的磁控制要求待操纵的颗粒是可磁化的，这使得有必要对生物颗粒进行磁性标记。铁磁流体最近已被证明可以在没有磁性标签的微流体装置中实现微粒子和细胞操纵。这些装置的成功依赖于对铁磁流体流动中粒子磁泳现象的全面理解。此外，这种基于铁磁流体的磁性技术的潜力远未得到充分开发。该CAREER提案的研究目标是开发铁磁流体微流中粒子磁泳的基础知识，并探索铁磁微流体中纳米粒子的不同操作，目标是建立颗粒和多相过程的新研究方向，并开发用于芯片实验室应用中无标记细胞处理的新技术。一个全面的教育计划将与这个职业生涯的建议，最终建立一个克莱姆森研究和教育计划的微流体基础和实验室的芯片应用的研究目标相结合。拟议的教育和外联活动包括：开发自学型网络微型课程系列;开发K-12外联方案，重点是少数民族学生和贫困家庭学生;在妇女和代表性不足的少数民族积极参与下，对研究生、本科生和高中生进行培训和辅导。该研究首次全面研究了磁流体微流中磁泳输运和操纵磁悬浮颗粒。它将补充微通道中粒子磁泳的现有知识，并推进磁性微流体装置的设计和控制。在铁磁流体微流中对磁性颗粒的无标记操作将在广泛的技术解决方案中找到直接的近期应用，例如流式细胞术（通过三维聚焦），过滤（通过捕获），生物传感（通过浓缩）和连续流分选（通过分离）。该研究成果对磁泳技术在生物医学、环境监测等领域的工程应用具有重要意义。它还将影响几个科学和技术领域，包括微流体，运输现象，聚合物科学和生物工程。将研究纳入教育的提议将促进发现，同时通过开发基于研究的教育材料和培训研究生、本科生和高中生进行研究来促进学习。在实验室和演示中获得的实践技能将为学生未来的职业生涯做好准备。通过档案出版物和拟议的开放式小型课程向社区传播研究成果，并向当地高中，特别是向代表性不足的群体推广研究成果，将增进对科学和技术的了解，造福社会。

1150670 PI: Xuan Magnetic field-induced particle manipulation is simple and cheap as compared to other techniques (e.g., electric, acoustic, and optical) that are applicable to microfluidic devices. It is non-invasive and free of fluid heating issues that accompany nearly all other techniques, and is therefore well suited to handling bioparticles. However, traditional magnetic control requires the particles to be manipulated being magnetizable, which renders it necessary to magnetically label bioparticles. Ferrofluids have been recently demonstrated to implement nonmagnetic particle and cell manipulations in microfluidic devices with no magnetic tagging. The success of these devices relies on a comprehensive understanding of particle magnetophoresis in ferrofluid flows. Moreover, the potential of such ferrofluid-based magnetic techniques is far from being fully explored. The research objectives of this CAREER proposal are to develop a fundamental knowledge of particle magnetophoresis in ferrofluid microflows, and to explore the diverse manipulations of nonmagnetic particles in ferromicrofluidics, with the goals of establishing a new research direction in particulate and multiphase processes and developing a new technology for label-free cell handling in lab-on-a-chip applications. A comprehensive education plan will be integrated with the research goals of this CAREER proposal toward ultimately establishing a Clemson research and education program on microfluidics fundamentals and lab-on-a-chip applications. The proposed education and outreach activities include the development of a self-learner style web-based minicourses series, the development of a K-12 outreach program with an emphasis on minority students and students from families living in poverty, and the training and mentoring of graduate, undergraduate, and high school students with an active involvement of women and underrepresented minorities. The proposed research represents the first comprehensive study of magnetophoretic transport and manipulation of nonmagnetic particles in ferrofluid microflows. It will complement the current knowledge of particle magnetophoresis in microchannels, and advance the design and control of magnetic microfluidic devices. The demonstrated label-free manipulations of nonmagnetic particles in ferrofluid microflows will find direct near-term applications in a wide range of technological solutions such as flow cytometry (via three-dimensional focusing), filtration (via trapping), biosensing (via concentration), and continuous-flow sorting (via separation). The proposed research will essentially benefit every engineering application of particle magnetophoresis in many areas such as biomedicine and environmental monitoring. It will also impact several scientific and technological communities including microfluidics, transport phenomena, polymer sciences, and bioengineering. The proposed integration of research into education will advance discovery while promoting learning through the development of research-based education materials and the training of graduate, undergraduate, and high school students in research. Practical skills gained in the laboratory and in presentations will prepare students for future careers. The dissemination of research results into the community through both archival publications and the proposed open minicourses and outreach to local high schools, especially underrepresented groups, will enhance scientific and technological understanding and benefit society.