Events

Description:

"Plastic Microfluidic Systems for Rapid Biochemical Analysis"
Travis D. Boone -- Soane BioSciences, Inc., Hayward

The development of microfluidic technologies has progressed rapidly during the last several years, driven by the need to reduce cost and increase throughput of analytical assays. Various implementations of integrated reagent mixing, reaction, and separation on microfabricated devices have been achieved by researchers in the field, demonstrating the ability to reduce reagent usage and protocol times by orders of magnitude. However, several challenges in device fabrication and multiplexing remain before microfluidic devices are commercially viable and cost-effective for applications requiring high-throughput or disposability.

In answer to these challenges, Soane BioSciences is developing low-cost, mass- produced, disposable plastic substrates and novel fluorescent assay chemistries for a variety of high-throughput microfluidic applications including DNA analysis, drug discovery, and clinical diagnostics. Polymeric microfluidic devices offer several advantages over glass or silicon structures including lower processing temperatures, novel surface treatment options, and simpler multi-layer device fabrication. The overall lower cost makes it possible to produce disposable devices, eliminating both the need for cleaning/reuse and the possibility of sample-to-sample carryover contamination.

The use of polymeric substrates for fluorescence-based microfluidics requires special consideration of optical, mechanical, and surface properties for the control of background fluorescence, heat transfer, and electrokinetic flow, respectively. We have developed methods to form enclosed microchannels by laminating polymer films to base substrates molded from microfabricated masters. Discrete cards and continuous film formats have been produced with highly multiplexed designs that mate to wells of standard microtiter plates. Novel surface chemistries and treatment methods have enabled us to achieve sufficient electro-osmotic flow for the reagent mixing and transport required of electrokinetically-driven microfluidic systems.

The utility and functionality of our plastic microfluidic devices will be demonstrated, focusing on the fabrication of multiplexed polymeric substrates and the results of enzymatic and immuno assays run on such systems.

Directions:
Capriccio Restaurant
325 Sharon Park Drive
Menlo Park
650 854 6822

Restaurant is off Sandhill Road between Junipero/Serra Blvd and 280, closer to Junipero.

Menu selections:
Sauteed Chicken
Grilled Salmon
Fusilli Siciliana Pasta ( no cheese )