Microfluidic Tools for Bioanalysis

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Microfluidics, the study and applications of fluid flow in devices with micrometer-sized features, has become popular for chemists, engineers, biologists, physicists, and clinicians because of the advantages of because of the advantages of reduced reagent consumption and analysis time, the capacity to integrate multiple functions onto a single device, and the potential for high-throughput analysis. Here, we propose to develop new tools relying on a particular form of microfluidics known as “digital microfluidics” (DMF). In DMF, the positions and volumes of sample and reagent droplets are precisely controlled through the application of electrodynamic forces on an array of electrodes. This proposal outlines broad research program unified by the theme of the development of DMF-enabled methods for bioanalysis, spanning two streams: (1) combining sample processing with detection, and (2) integration of cell culture and analysis. The work described in stream 1 will lead to powerful new “sample in, analysis out” techniques for lab- and field-work relying on mass spectrometry, electrochemistry, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The work described in stream 2 will enable investigators in the life sciences to ask questions related to 3D tissue culture and cell-cell signaling that are impractical to probe using current tools. Thus, this program is poised to have significant impact on basic and applied science, with potential long-term benefits for human health. Perhaps equally as importantly, this grant will directly support the training of five graduate students and will indirectly benefit several others. These trainees will be mentored in a positive, interdisciplinary environment, and will emerge as the next generation of Canadian scientists, inventors, and job creators.