Principles and Applications of Microfluidics in the Life Sciences

27 Mar 2012, at 09:00-12:30 in Edinburgh

Who Should Attend?

The course is suitable for scientists, technicians and engineers who would like to learn (more) about microfluidics and its applications in the area of life sciences. Researchers who are interested in working with microfluidic devices will acquire a comprehensive overview of the field. The course will also provide an opportunity for researchers who already have experience with microfluidic devices but who would like to update or broaden their knowledge on recent developments in bio-applications.

Learning Objectives

1. Understand the benefits and limitations of miniaturisation and learn how microfluidic devices can be fabricated, assembled and operated.
2. Understand the behaviour of fluids in microchannels and learn how this has led to methods of pumping, mixing and detection that can be quite different from those used on the larger scale.
3. Gain a broad overview over the applications of microfluidic devices in the area of life sciences including DNA and protein analysis as well as recent developments in cell and tissue analysis.
4. Understand the challenges and recent developments towards integrated and portable analysis systems (microTAS) that can be used at the point-of-care for medical applications, at-the-scene for forensic applications or in-the-field for environmental and biodefence applications.

Topics and Course Organisation

Principles of Microfluidics and Construction of microTAS

1. Benefits of miniaturising fluid handling
   for (bio)chemical reactions
   for the separation of sample mixtures
   integration and automation, micro total analysis systems (microTAS)
   microfluidics versus nanofluidics
2. Flow behaviour in microchannels
   laminar and turbulent flow
   diffusion
   multi-phase flow
3. Handling of fluids
   components for fluid handling
   pumping (hydrodynamic, electroosmotic)
   mixing (passive and active)
   valves and other means of flow stream control
4. Detection in microfluidic devices
   optical (fluorescence, chemiluminescence)
   electro-chemical
   spectroscopic and spectrometric
   thermal lens microscopy
5. Fabrication of Microfluidic Devices
   materials and biocompatibility
   silicon and glass devices
   polymer devices
   interfacing and packaging

Applications of Microfluidic Devices in Bioanalysis

1. DNA analysis
   DNA separation
   on-chip polymerase chain reaction
   DNA hybridisation assays
2. Protein analysis
   on-chip immunoassays
   pre-concentration of proteins
   protein separation
   microchips coupled to mass spectrometers
3. Cell and tissue analysis
   handling of cells in microfluidic devices
   single cell analysis
   parallel analysis on cell arrays
   on-chip tissue analysis
4. Integrated devices for point-of-care or in-the-field analysis
   microfluidic devices for medical point-of-care applications
   microfluidic devices for forensic applications
   microfluidic devices for biodefence applications