Events Calendar

Center for Cyber-Physical Systems and Internet of Things and Ming Hsieh Institute for Electrical Engineering Joint Seminar Series on Cyber-Physical Systems

Speaker: Mirela Alistar, Postdoc, Hasso-Plattner-Institute, Germany

Talk Title: Are microfluidic biochips the 'arduinos' for biology?

Abstract: Biochips are cyber-physical systems with realistic potential to improve the healthcare process, e.g., by providing faster disease disease diagnosis and at-home direct treatment. Traditionally, biochips are developed to be used by experts in laboratories or clinics. I expand this vision, by exploring the possibility of an integrated platform for personal use of biochips.

In my work, I address the main challenges that users may encounter: accessibility, bio-protocol design and interaction with microfluidics. I believe this is a first step towards personal laboratories: small portable devices that people can own and use to develop customized bio-protocols ('bio-apps'), similar to today's Arduinos.

I will present my work around biochips, finishing with a live demo of my latest device.


Biography: Mirela Alistar is a Postdoc at the Hasso-Plattner-Institute, Germany. She received a PhD in computer engineering from the Technical University of Denmark in 2014. Her main research interests are in the area of system-level design of embedded systems, with a special focus on digital microfluidics. She is supporting open access research and she has organized art and science events, where she disseminates to the public with the aim of involving them into creating more knowledge.

Host: Paul Bogdan

Location: Hughes Aircraft Electrical Engineering Center (EEB) - 248

Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

Contact: Estela Lopez