This research will involve the fabrication of microfluidic systems as well as the experimental testing of analytes in suspension. Microscopic organisms, carbon nanotubes, stem cells, and bacteria such as bacillus subtilis (anthrax) will be manipulated using microfluidic devices with integrated electrodes.
Intellectual Merit:
The research presented here will involve developing a microfluidic system that will be able to analyze biological particles on the cellular level using electrohydrodynamic techniques. This includes (1) The ability to rapidly isolate, detect, and analyze single cells will provide breakthroughs on the frontiers of analytical chemistry; (2) The ability to rapidly detect and identify biowarfare agents such as anthrax will provide significant benefits to national security and defense; and (3) The ability to separate and analyze stem cells can lead to significant advances towards cures for cancer and Alzheimer's disease.
Broader Impact:
The development of such separation techniques will open the door for the discovery of new organisms and provide significant breakthroughs in the area of biological warfare agent detection. The quality of air and water resources will be improved by removing pollutant particles, bacteria, and viruses from these natural resources. This technology will lead to improvement in biomedical fields for cell sorting and removing impurities from biological suspensions. This will lead to advances in understanding of diseases. In addition, this technology will also provide significant advances in the areas of defense, environmental protection, and medicine. As part of the educational plan, talented underrepresented minority groups from the Meyerhoff Program at UMBC as well as domestic students will be targeted for this research. The Meyerhoff Program is a national model for attracting and retaining, primarily minority students, who will pursue advanced degrees in mathematics or science with an emphasis in helping underrepresented groups.
