Digital microfluidics systems (DMFS) are a new class of "lab-on-a-chip" systems that can manipulate discrete droplets. This exploratory SGER project will develop algorithms for the design, simulation, and optimization of DMFS. These systems have the potential to perform complex biochemical analyses in real time at dramatically reduced costs. Their low energy requirements, small reagent volumes, and small size make them attractive for use in a wide variety of applications including medical diagnostics, clinical monitoring, and environmental monitoring. For example, such systems can be used as pathogen monitoring devices that sense and identify pathogenic organisms in the environment.
The proposed project will establish the validity of the novel approach by developing specialized routing and scheduling algorithms for the coordination of droplets on a DMFS, by exploiting the structure of these problems. By developing models abstracted from the hardware and focusing on the algorithms, basic principles will be developed for designing array layouts and coordinating droplets that work across different hardware implementations. The developed droplet routing and scheduling algorithms can be directly used in software to control a DMFS. Further, they will ultimately lead to high-level CAD tools to design and simulate DMFS.
This research will extend robot coordination techniques to biotechnology applications. The proposed research will involve graduate students in research, and will be integrated into a Robot Motion Planning course taught by the PI. Outreach activities include plans to enhance summer robotics camps with The Children's Museum of Science and Technology in Troy.
