Posters

We demonstrate a mass-production amenable technology for fabrication, surface modification and multifunction integration in plastic, disposable microfluidic devices, namely direct lithography on the plastic substrate followed by polymer plasma etching, and if desired by selective plasma deposition. We apply the plasma processing technology to fabricate polymeric microfluidics in Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and Poly(ether ether ketone) (PEEK). Our approach proposes “smart” multifunctional mi

Several means of extracting fluorescence signals from flowing cell suspensions in a single plane are examined. Simple microfluidic flow cytometer structures incorporating lateral hydrodynamic focusing were molded in PDMS. Several geometries for embedding optical fibers and custom molded waveguides into the same structure were compared. Improvement in light yield is examined with molded cylindrical lenses and by using channels filled with high refractive index polymers as waveguides.

Our gene expression profiling strategy High Performance Chip Data Analysis (HPCDA) was improved with a method for quantifying the quality of different gene lists (GLs) with the new Gene List Significance Index (GLSI). With GLSI it is possible to decide which of two different extracted GLs has highest fraction of true positives, of high fold change or low p-value genes. With GLSI we could empirically optimize HPCDA-Score for ranking genes.

A newly developed antibody suspension bead array assay allows for a systematic and high-throughput plasma profiling. This microtiter based assay uses antibody-coupled beads for a multiplexed analysis of minute amounts of directly labelled samples. The key requirement of a?nity reagents towards all human proteins is met by the Human Protein Atlas project.

dPCR is achieved by sample partitioning prior to PCR amplification such that each reaction chamber contains one copy or less of target DNA. This dilution becomes the limiting factor and an accurate target molecule count is achievable. This study evaluates dPCR’s quantitative capabilities and investigates parameters influencing copy number quantification, using the Fluidigm Biomark instrument. Biomark technology combines dPCR theory with a microfluidics platform.

Apomixis is a trait which allows flowering plants to produce seeds by asexual ways. Molecular mechanisms behind this phenomenon are poorly understood. We used cDNA microrrays coupled to substractive libraries to find genes related to apomixis in Brachiaria. Genes related to meiosis and cell division, and some putative transcription factors, were overexpressed in sexual plants. It may indicate that apomixis could be caused by downregulation of these genes.

Aim of this project is to develop a versatile and highthroughput microdevice, to be employed in studies of leukocytic chemotaxis, shear stress dependent.

Engineered bacteria provide a great opportunity to overcome the limitations of current cancer chemotherapeutics. We have developed microfluidic continuous flow-through devices as in-vitro models of tumor tissue and used them to quantify therapeutic efficacies of bacterial strains.

A PDMS “sample pretreatment” device has been fabricated in order to selectively tune key biological sample parameters which will optimize the sample for subsequent electrokinetic manipulations. We have shown that a raw sample can be homogeneously combined with specific buffers in a DC pulse micromixer in under 1.5 seconds.