Combining Molecular Recognition with MEMS

Prof. H.T. Soh
Program in Biomolecular Science and Engineering
Department of Mechanical & Environmental EngineeringThe capability to amplify, that is, to create multiple copies of a particular DNA through polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has caused a revolution in biotechnology. It has provided the means to detect genetic mutations and pathogenic organisms including viruses and bacteria. In this work, we propose to address an equally fundamental need – the capability to sort, that is, to separate and isolate particular molecules, viruses, bacteria and other cells, from a large background of complex mixtures, at very high throughput, purity and efficiency.
In this work, we combine a novel technique of molecular and cellular labeling with Microsytems technology to create a disposable, massively parallel, rare-cell sorting system. The physical mechanism is based on dielectrophoresis (DEP) using inhomogeneous AC electrical fields. Our approach is truly unique in two aspects: first, we label the cells with specifically engineered DEP tags, so that the differences in dielectric constants provide a large force of separation. Second, we leverage the massive parallelism – the hallmark of micro/nano fabrication technology – to create a multi-stage array of sorting chambers to exponentially enhance the performance in throughput, purity, and recovery simultaneously.Hyongsok (Tom) Soh received his B.S. with distinction with a double major in Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science from Cornell University in 1992, and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University in 1995 and 1999 respectively. He served as the technical manager of MEMS device research group at Bell Laboratories and Agere Systems before joining the University of California – Santa Barbara in 2003. He has (co)authored over 30 technical papers, 10 patents and 1 book. He is a recipient of 2002 Top 100 Innovator award from MIT Technology Review, and 2004 Young Investigator Award from the Office of Naval Research.Date: Wednesday, October 27, 2004
Place: Olin Hall 230 (OHE)
Time: 12:00 – 1:00
Refreshments will be served at 11:45
ALL First Year EE-EP Graduate Students are REQUIRED to ATTEND

Location: Olin Hall of Engineering (OHE) - 230

Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

Contact: Robert Mena