Abstract

Expanding the Droplet-Microfluidics Toolkit with Electrokinetics

Robbyn Anand, Associate Professor of Chemistry, Iowa State University

Droplet-based techniques have had a profound impact in biotechnology, owing to an ability to perform rapid and massively parallel reactions in minute fluid volumes. However, once droplets are formed, their composition can be altered through limited functions including the addition of reagents through droplet merging, which increases droplet volume, and through in-droplet mixing. Further, while droplet contents can be measured through, there remains a need for more versatile methods to probe droplets without significantly altering their contents. In this presentation, we describe a suite of in-droplet electrokinetic methods including de-mixing, mobility-based separations, desalting, and “salting”. Finally, we will share initial results for the measurement of the ionic content of droplets.