Micro/Nano Fluidics Fundamentals Focus (MF3) Center
University of California at Irvine

ABSTRACT:
Medicine as we know it is a series of standard procedures (check-ups, sample collection, lab tests, drugs, and treatments) that are generally one dimensional with little to no connectivity between the different “stations”. However, medicine as we know it is starting to converge on tiny fluidic chips. For example, microfluidic lab-on-a-chip devices have demonstrated strong potential for rapid diagnostics and point-of-care applications. More recently, digital microfluidic chips has enabled the “nanomanufacturing” of synthetic materials with biomolecules leading to multi-functional drugs for targeted drug delivery and advanced therapies. I will introduce two primary projects: The first project is based on a microfluidic droplet generation platform for molecular diagnostics assays, drug delivery and targeted imaging. In one platform molecular beacons (MB) and targeted nucleic acids are introduced into picoliter droplets and flown one-by-one through microchannels to enable the study of the kinetics of biomolecular hybridization. Another microfluidic platform produces monodisperse lipid-shell microbubbles as ultrasound contrast imaging agents. These agents not only provide superior quality ultrasound images but also have tremendous potential for targeted imaging and therapy. Other drug delivery particles that we have made in our microfluidic chips include liposomes, PLGA nanoparticles, and lipoplexes for nonviral gene transfection. The second project is a microfluidic cell sorter based on dielectrophoresis (DEP) and a novel lateral separation design. Vertical electrodes alongside microfluidic channels are microfabricated to allow for fine control of lateral manipulation of cells (or bead) in microchannels with the intention to sort and switch them into targeted outlet channels and collection zones. Our target application is to sort neural stem cells for therapeutics based on their dielectric properties. We have recently demonstrated that the dielectric properties are distinct between stem cells and their differentiated progenies. At conclusion I will introduce the recently formed DARPA Micro/nano fluidics fundamentals focus (MF3) center and explain our vision to establish standards and expedite the maturation of microfluidics for commercial applications.

BIO:
Abraham (Abe) P. Lee is a Professor in the Departments of Biomedical Engineering (BME) and Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the University of California at Irvine. He also serves as the director of the Micro/nano Fluidics Fundamentals Focus (MF3) Center, a DARPA-industry supported research center. Prior to joining the UCI faculty in 2002, he was a Senior Technology Advisor in the Office of Technology and Industrial Relations at the National Cancer Institute, and a program manager in the Microsystems Technology Office of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). Dr. Lee started his career at LLNL and led projects on the treatment of stroke and CBW defense. Dr. Lee received his Ph.D. degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California at Berkeley. His current research is focused on the development of “digital” micro/nano fluidic platforms for the following applications: biosensors to detect environmental and terrorism threats, point-of-care diagnostics, “smart” nanomedicine for early detection and treatment, automated cell sorting technologies, and tissue engineering and cell-based therapeutics. Dr. Lee currently serves as Editor for the Journal of Microelectromechanical Systems and International Advisory Editorial Board member of Lab on a Chip journal as well as a member of the Technical Program Committee for the MicroTAS conference. He served as editor of 4 books, edited two special journal issues, and is author of 5 book chapters. He also owns 33 issued US patents and has published over 80 peer reviewed papers in journals and conference proceedings.