The IEEE Gainesville Section Presents:

Microelectromechanical Systems for Thermal Characterization 
and Manipulation of Biomolecules

Prof. Qiao Lin, Columbia University

Tuesday, October 30, 2007
1:55pm-2:45pm
330 Larsen Hall (Center Drive, University of Florida)

Abstract:

Thermal effects are ubiquitous to biological processes. 
Microelectro-mechanical systems (MEMS) technology allows the 
integration of sensitive thermal detection and efficient thermal 
control with microfluidic manipulation, thereby enabling the 
interrogation of biomolecules in controlled microscale 
environments unattainable with conventional technologies. This 
presentation will highlight our efforts in applying MEMS 
technology to thermally based biomolecular characterization and 
manipulation.

We will discuss the application of MEMS technology to thermodynamic
 characterization of biomolecules, focusing on a miniaturized 
differential scanning calorimeter. The device consists of a pair of 
freestanding microfluidic chambers integrated with thermal sensing 
and control elements. Minute differential heat between the sample and 
buffer contained in the chambers is measured to assess the biochemical
 reaction, potentially with orders of magnitude smaller sample volumes 
when compared with conventional instruments. We will also present an 
investigation of microfluidic platforms for manipulating biomolecules 
using synthetic and bio-polymers that undergo strong temperature-induced, 
reversible conformational changes. For example, aptamers, or 
oligonucleotides with sequence-dependent shape to bind specifically 
to other molecules, can potentially enable efficient miniature extraction
 systems. This is demonstrated by capture of small-molecule analytes by
 aptamer-functionalized microbeads in a microfluidic chamber, and analyte
 release and device regeneration by exploiting thermally induced, 
reversible breakage of analyte-aptamer binding. 


Biography:

Qiao Lin is an Associate Professor in the Mechanical Engineering 
Department at Columbia University. He received the Ph.D. degree in 
Mechanical Engineering from Caltech in 1998, where he conducted thesis 
research on optimal planning of robotic manipulation. He was a postdoctoral
 scholar in Caltech Electrical Engineering Department from 1998 to 2000, 
where he pursued research in microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and 
investigated silicon-micromachined fluidic and thermal devices. From 2000 
to 2005, he was an Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering at 
Carnegie Mellon University. Dr. Lin's research addresses the design, 
analysis and fabrication of MEMS and micro/nanofluidic systems for 
manipulation and characterization of biomolecules and their solutions

If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Huikai Xie at 
(352) 846-0441 or hkxie@ece.ufl.edu.