Collaborative Research: Fundamental Mechanisms of Microfluidic Traveling-Wave Electrophoresis

合作研究：微流控行波电泳的基本机制

基本信息

批准号：
2216766
负责人：
Aaron Timperman
金额：
$ 37.34万
依托单位：
University of Pennsylvania
依托单位国家：
美国
项目类别：
Continuing Grant
财政年份：
2022
资助国家：
美国
起止时间：
2022-02-15 至 2024-01-31
项目状态：
已结题

来源：
https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2216766&HistoricalAwards=false
关键词：
Collaborative Research Fundamental Mechanisms Microfluidic

项目摘要

This project is funded by the Chemistry Division of the Mathematical and Physical Sciences Directorate. Professors Aaron Timperman from the University of Illinois and Boyd Edwards from Utah State University are investigating the fundamental mechanisms of a new separation method called microfluidic traveling-wave electrophoresis (TWE). TWE is a promising method for reducing the complexity of samples that may come from biological organisms or the environment. In the investigation of the mechanisms of TWE, the team is determining precisely how TWE works and on optimizing its performance. The unique characteristics of TWE separations make it well-suited for applications that cannot be achieved with other separation methods. The TWE separation is driven with very low voltages (+/-0.5 V) which are 1,000 to 10,000 times smaller than its nearest relative, microchannel electrophoresis. This low voltage requirement makes TWE highly compatible with fieldable sensing systems. TWE should prove helpful in applications such as detection of biomarkers in human medical, forensic, and drug testing, detection of toxic substances in the environment, and detection of threat agents for homeland defense. The team collaborates with the Illinois Academic Ambassadors to enhance exposure of middle school and high school students to STEM research.A combined experimental and theoretical modeling approach is used to provide a thorough and quantitative description of the mechanisms of TWE. TWE is distinct as a low frequency AC electrophoretic separation in which a longitudinal electric field wave propagates through the microfluidic channel. The separation mechanisms of TWE are unique: TWE can rapidly switch between separative transport, non-separative transport, and immobilization simply by changing the frequency of the traveling wave; and both anions and cations move in the same direction. The goal of this work is to fully understand and quantitatively describe the fundamental mechanisms of traveling wave electrophoresis. The objectives are: 1) determining the mechanisms of zone migration, 2) determining the mechanisms of zone dispersion, and 3) defining the fundamental equations of separation efficiency, resolution, and peak capacity. The experimental results guide the development of the theoretical models, and the fundamental equations derived are experimentally verified. These fundamental equations provide a basis with which this separation method can be quantitatively compared with others and inform optimal device design. The experimental team includes both undergraduate and graduate students. This is an interdisciplinary project that exposes students to separations, theoretical modeling, and fabrication in Engineering. An outreach component is included that impacts middle and high school students, exposing them to STEM disciplines.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

该项目由数学和物理科学局的化学部门资助。伊利诺伊大学的亚伦·蒂珀曼（Aaron Timperman）教授和犹他州立大学的博伊德·爱德华兹（Boyd Edwards）正在研究一种新的分离方法的基本机制，称为微流体旅行波电泳（TWE）。 TWE是一种有前途的方法，用于降低可能来自生物生物或环境的样品的复杂性。在研究TWE机制的过程中，团队正在确定TWE的工作原理和优化其性能。 TWE分离的独特特征使其非常适合使用其他分离方法实现的应用。 TWE分离的电压（+/- 0.5 V）的驱动，该电压比其最近的相对微通道电泳小1,000至10,000倍。这种低电压需求使TWE与现场感应系统高度兼容。 TWE应该证明对诸如对人类医学，法医和药物测试中生物标志物的检测，环境中有毒物质的检测以及对国土防御的威胁代理的检测等应用有帮助。该团队与伊利诺伊州的学术大使合作，以增强中学和高中生的曝光度。一种结合的实验和理论建模方法，用于提供对TWE机制的详尽和定量描述。 TWE与低频AC电泳分离是不同的，其中纵向电场波通过微流体通道传播。 TWE的分离机制是独一无二的：TWE可以仅通过更改波动波的频率来迅速在分离运输，非分离运输和固定之间进行切换；阴离子和阳离子都朝着相同的方向移动。这项工作的目的是充分理解和定量描述行进波电泳的基本机制。目标是：1）确定区域迁移的机制，2）确定区域分散的机制，3）定义分离效率，分辨率，峰值容量的基本方程。实验结果指导了理论模型的发展以及得出的基本方程。这些基本方程式提供了与其他方程式相比，可以将这种分离方法定量的基础，并为最佳设备设计提供信息。实验团队包括本科生和研究生。这是一个跨学科项目，它使学生在工程学领域接受分离，理论建模和制造。包括影响中学生和高中生，将其暴露于STEM学科的外展部分。该奖项反映了NSF的法定任务，并被认为是值得通过基金会的知识分子优点和更广泛的影响评估标准通过评估来支持的。