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Lab-on-a-Chip and BioMEMS Devices
Lab-on-a-chip devices (also known as micro-total-analytical systems or microTAS) are devices designed to miniaturize analytical or bioanalytical techniques and integrate them into a microfabricated format. Techniques such as chemical separations (electrophoresis, chromatography, etc) or immunoassays are incorporated into microfabricated systems (typically glass, silicon or polymers) with a goal of increasing performance, minimizing reagent requirements, and decreasing cost. BioMEMS devices are similar, typically focusing on MEMS (microelectromechanical systems) with biological applications.

We use lab-on-a-chip devices to sort or study cells, study interfacial phenomena, and produce pharmaceuticals.

Selected Publications and Presentations on Lab-on-a-Chip and BioMEMS devices

Hawkins BG, Gleghorn JP, Kirby BJ
"Dielectrophoresis for cell and particle manipulation," submitted, 2008.

Kondapalli S, Kirby BJ
"Refolding of beta-galactosidase: Microfluidic device for reagent metering and mixing and quantification of refolding yield," submitted, 2008.

PDF version of George, Rana, Hawkins, Kirby: 
Microfluidic devices for terahertz spectroscopy of biomolecules

George PA, Hui W, Rana F, Hawkins BG, Smith AE, Kirby BJ
"Integrated microfluidic devices for terahertz spectroscopy of biomolecules", Optics Express, 16(3) 1577-1582 (2008). pdf text

Kondapalli S, Putnam DA, Kirby BJ
"Protein refolding in microchips", AIChE 2007, Salt Lake City, UT, November 2007.

Hawkins BG, Smith AE, Kirby BJ
"High-throughput, continuous-flow, dielectrophoretic screening of Mycobacterium smegmatis in coherently patterned, polymeric microchannels", MicroTAS 2007, Paris, France, October 2007.

PDF version of Tandon V Bhagavatula SK Nelson WC Kirby BJ:
Zeta potential and electroosmotic mobility in microfluidic devices
fabricated from hydrophobic polymers: 1. The origins of charge

Tandon V, Bhagavatula SK, Nelson WC, Kirby BJ
"Zeta potential and electroosmotic mobility in microfluidic devices fabricated from hydrophobic polymers: 1. The origins of charge", Electrophoresis 29(5):1092-1101, 2008. doi pdf

PDF version of Tandon V Kirby BJ:
Zeta potential and electroosmotic mobility in microfluidic devices 
fabricated from hydrophobic polymers: 2. Slip and interfacial water structure

Tandon V, Kirby BJ
"Zeta potential and electroosmotic mobility in microfluidic devices fabricated from hydrophobic polymers: 2. Slip and interfacial water structure", Electrophoresis 29(5):1102-1114, 2008. doi pdf

PDF version of Benjamin G. Hawkins, A. Ezekial Smith, 
Yusef A. Syed, Brian J. Kirby: 
Continuous-Flow Particle Separation 
by 3D Insulative Dielectrophoresis 
Using Coherently Shaped, dc-Biased, ac Electric Fields

Hawkins BG, Smith AE, Syed YA, Kirby BJ
"Continuous-flow particle separation by 3D insulative dielectrophoresis using coherently shaped, DC-biased, AC electric fields," Analytical Chemistry, 2007. doi pdf text

Smith AE, Hawkins BG, Syed YA, Kirby BJ
"Continuous-flow particle sorting at low applied electric fields using electrodeless dielectrophoresis in ridged polymeric devices," MicroTAS 2006 Tokyo, Japan, Nov 2006.

Smith AE, Hawkins BG, Syed YA, Kirby BJ
"Continuous-flow dielectrophoresis using geometric control of electric fields," 2nd New York Complex Matter Workshop Ithaca, NY, June 2006.

PDF version of Mela, van den Berg, Fintschenko, Cummings, Simmons, Kirby: The zeta potential of cyclo-olefin polymer microchannels and its effects on insulative (electrodeless) dielectrophoresis particle trapping devices

Mela P, van den Berg A, Fintschenko Y, Cummings EB, Simmons BA, Kirby BJ
"The zeta potential of cyclo-olefin polymer microchannels and its effects on insulative (electrodeless) dielectrophoresis particle trapping devices," Electrophoresis 26:1792-1799 (2005). doi pdf text

PDF version of Reichmuth, Shepodd, Kirby: Microchip HPLC of peptides and proteins

Reichmuth DS, Shepodd TJ, Kirby BJ
"Microchip HPLC of peptides and proteins," Analytical Chemistry 77:2997-3000 (2005). doi pdf text

PDF version of Kirby, Reichmuth, Renzi, Shepodd, Wiedenman: Microfluidic routing of aqueous and organic flows at high pressure: Fabrication and characterization of integrated polymer microvalve elements

Kirby BJ, Reichmuth DS, Renzi RF, Shepodd TJ, Wiedenman BJ
"Microfluidic routing of aqueous and organic flows at high pressure: Fabrication and characterization of integrated polymer microvalve elements," Lab on a Chip 5:184-190 (2005). doi pdf text

PDF version of Reichmuth, Shepodd, Kirby: On-chip high-pressure picoliter injector for pressure-driven flow through porous media

Reichmuth DS, Shepodd TJ, Kirby BJ
"On-chip high-pressure picoliter injector for pressure-driven flow through porous media," Analytical Chemistry 76:5063-5068 (2004). doi pdf text

PDF version of Song, Singh, Kirby: Electrophoretic concentration of proteins at laser-patterned porous membranes

Song S, Singh AK, Kirby BJ
"Electrophoretic Concentration of Proteins at Laser-Patterned Porous Membranes," Analytical Chemistry 76:4589-4592 (2004). doi pdf text

PDF version of Song, Singh, Shepodd, Kirby: Microchip dialysis of proteins using in situ photopatterned nanoporous polymer membranes

Song S, Singh AK, Shepodd TJ, Kirby BJ
"Microchip dialysis of proteins using in situ photopatterned nanoporous polymer membranes", Analytical Chemistry 76:2367-2373 (2004). doi pdf text

PDF version of Kirby, Hasselbrink: The zeta potential of microfluidic substrates. 1. Theory, experimental techniques, and effects on separations

Kirby BJ, Hasselbrink, Jr. EF
"The Zeta Potential of Microfluidic Substrates. 1. Theory, experimental techniques, and effects on separations," Electrophoresis, 25:187-202 (2004). doi pdf text

PDF version of Kirby, Hasselbrink: The zeta potential of microfluidic substrates. 2. Data for polymers

Kirby BJ, Hasselbrink, Jr. EF
"The Zeta Potential of Microfluidic Substrates. 2. Data for polymers," Electrophoresis, 25:203-213 (2004). doi pdf text

PDF version of Song, Shepodd, Singh, Kirby: Microchip-based dialysis of protein samples using photopatterned nanoporous membranes

Song S, Shepodd TJ, Singh AK, Kirby BJ
"Microchip-based dialysis of protein samples using photopatterned nanoporous membranes," in MicroTAS 2003, Kluwer Academic Publishers (2003). pdf

PDF version of Reichmuth, Shepodd, Kirby: RP-HPLC microchip separations with subnanoliter on-chip pressure injections

Reichmuth DS, Shepodd TJ, Kirby BJ
"RP-HPLC microchip separations with subnanoliter on-chip pressure injections," in MicroTAS 2003, Kluwer Academic Publishers (2003). pdf

PDF versino of Fintschenko, Kirby, Hasselbrink, Singh, Shepodd: Monolithic materials: miniature and microchip technologies

Fintschenko Y, Kirby BJ, Hasselbrink, Jr. EF, Singh AK, Shepodd TJ
"Monolithic Materials: Miniature and Microchip Technologies," in Monolithic Materials: Preparation, Properties, and Applications Elsevier, Amsterdam (2003). pdf

PDF version of Kirby, Wheeler, Zare, Fruetel, Shepodd: Programmable modification of cell adhesion and zeta potential in silica microchips

Kirby BJ, Wheeler AR, Zare RN, Fruetel JA, Shepodd TJ
"Programmable Modification of Cell Adhesion and Zeta Potential in Silica Microchips,"Lab On a Chip 3:5-10 (2003). doi pdf text

PDF version of Kirby, Shepodd, Hasselbrink: Voltage-addressable on/off microvalves for high-pressure microchip separations

Kirby BJ, Shepodd TJ, Hasselbrink, Jr. EF
"Voltage-Addressable On/Off Microvalves for High-Pressure Microchip Separations," Journal of Chromatography A 979:147-154 (2002). doi pdf

PDF version of Kirby, Shepodd: Microvalve architectures for high-pressure hydraulic and electrokinetic fluid control in microchips

Kirby BJ, Shepodd TJ
"Microvalve Architectures for High-Pressure Hydraulic and Electrokinetic Fluid Control in Microchips," in MicroTAS 2002, Kluwer Academic Publishers, pp. 338-340 (2002). pdf

PDF version of Kirby, Singh: In-situ fabrication of dialysis membranes in glass microchannels using laser-induced phase-separation polymerization

Kirby BJ, Singh AK
"In-situ Fabrication of Dialysis Membranes in Glass Microchannels Using Laser-induced Phase-separation Polymerization," in MicroTAS 2002, Kluwer Academic Publishers, pp. 742-744 (2002). pdf

AFM characterization of a zeonor surface which can be used to assist study of electrokinetic properties of microchannel substrates.
Cartoon of cellular transport over ridged microchannels that sort using dielectrophoresis. Place mouse on image to animate. Here, a high-DEP cell (red) is deflected as compared to a low-DEP cell (green).