Keynote Speakers
doi:10.3850/4M2009RP001_9003
Microfluidic Platforms for Miniaturization, Integration and Automation of Biochemical Assays
Prof. Dr. Roland Zengerle
Laboratory for MEMS Applications, Department of Microsystems Engineering (IMTEK),
University of Freiburg, Georges-Koehler-Allee 106, 79110, Freiburg, Germany
Biography
Prof. Dr. Roland Zengerle is the director of the Department of Microsystems Engineering (IMTEK) at the University of Freiburg, Germany. He also heads the Laboratory for MEMS Applications at IMTEK and in addition he is a director at the Institute for Micro- and Information Technology of the Hahn-Schickard-Gesellschaft (HSG-IMIT). HSG-IMIT is a non-profit organisation supporting industries in development of new products based on MEMS technologies. Since June 2008 Dr. Zengerle is also the vice-chairman of the new centre for “Biological Signalling Studies (bioss)” at the University of Freiburg; the centre is funded by the national science foundation in the framework of the German excellence initiative.
The research of Dr. Zengerle is focused on microfluidics and covers topics like miniaturized and autonomous dosage systems, implantable drug delivery systems, nanoliter & picoliter dispensing, lab-on-a-chip platforms, tools for research on cells, thermal sensors, miniaturized fuel cells as well as micro- and nanofluidics simulation. Dr. Zengerle co-authored more than 300 technical publications and 30 patents. He is the European editor of the Springer Journal of Microfluidics and Nanofluidics. Dr. Zengerle serves on the international steering committee of the IEEE-MEMS conference as well as on the technical program committees of several other international conferences.
Abstract
During the last decade many technological progresses were achieved in the field of Lab-on-a-Chip for the miniaturization, integration and automation of biochemical assays. Nowadays an unmanageable variety of alternative approaches exist that can perform these tasks. To cope with the complexity of those systems the paradigm of development changed from component oriented approaches towards the development of microfluidic platforms. A microfluidic platform provides a set of fluidic unit operations, which are designed for easy combination within a well defined (and low cost) fabrication technology. The platform allows implementation of different application specific systems (assays) in an easy and flexible way, based on the same fabrication technology. In this work we will discuss important issues for the successful implementation of a platform oriented development environment for Lab-on-a-Chip on the example of the newly set up Lab-on-a-Chip Foundry Service of the HSG-IMT. The systematic development of Lab-on-a-Chip will be shown on the example of a nucleidic acid assay on the centrifugal microfluidic platform. In the Lab-on-a-Chip Foundry Service, development is based on standardized microfluidics and standardized fabrication processes that are maintained in a knowledge management system, the Lab-on-a-Chip Design Handbook of the HSG-IMIT. Facilities and experts are provided for microfabrication and microfluidics as well as for biochemistry and biology to enable fast development cylces in a one-stop shop approach. Prototyping is organized in rapid prototyping chains for polymer fabrication, sealing and assembly in a rapid prototyping workshop.
