[CCoE Notice] PhD Defense - Jennifer Knoop

[Khator, Suresh]

PhD Defense Announcement

Jennifer Knoop, Thursday, July 21, 2011, 2:00 PM,  Chemical Engineering Conference Room
Advisor: Dr. R. Willson


FORCE DISCRIMINATION FOR ENHANCED SPECIFICITY OF MICRO-RETROREFLECTOR BIOASSAYS


Many bioanalytical techniques rely upon a label to signal the presence of an analyte.  While these labels are widely used and well-developed, label detection sensitivity often limits assay sensitivity.  This work introduces magnetic sample-prep particles and nanoparticles as light-blocking labels in optical assays based on micron-scale microfabricated retroreflectors.  Retroreflectors return light directly to its source and are readily detectable with inexpensive optics; the assay can easily detect the presence of a single micron-sized particle bound to the surface.  A particle can be retained by a single bacterium, implying extreme sensitivity.  The magnetic properties of the particles are useful in sample preparation and concentration, and magnetic force, as well as microfluidic fluid flow shear, are used to increase specificity by discriminating against non-specific interactions.  Shear force discrimination, reproducibility, and convenience are enhanced by implementation in a microfluidic cartridge.
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://Bug.EGR.UH.EDU/pipermail/engi-dist/attachments/20110714/e9edc2b5/attachment-0001.html