Bio-MEMS Tools for Manipulating and Imaging Biological Samples

Professor Nikos Chronis,
Mechanical and Biomedical
Engineering Departments,
University of Michigan

ABSTRACT:
BioMEMS (Bio-MicroElectroMechanical Systems) is an emerging field that aims to facilitate current bioinstrumentation techniques by providing sophisticated, microengineered tools to biologists and biophysicists. In this talk, the development of various Bio-MEMS devices will be described related to the manipulation and imaging of biological species: A) a novel polymer microfabrication technology for building actuators/microgrippers and microrobotic systems. These devices can be used to manipulate single cells in liquid environment; B) a total internal reflection (TIR)-based biochip and a liquid-filled microlens array for lab-on-a-chip applications; and C) a microfluidic device for imaging neural circuits in the nematode C. elegans.

BIO:
Nikos Chronis received his B.S. and Ph.D. degrees from Aristotle University (Greece) and University of California at Berkeley in 1998 and 2004 respectively, both in mechanical engineering. In 2000, he joined the Berkeley Sensor and Actuator Center at the University of California at Berkeley as a graduate student researcher under the supervision of Luke Lee. In 2004, he worked as a postdoc at Rockefeller University (New York) where he developed microfluidic tools for studying neural networks in the nematode C. elegans. In August 2006, he joined the faculty of Mechanical Engineering at the U of Michigan as an assistant professor. His research interests include polymer MEMS, microfluidics, optical MEMS for lab-on-chip applications, and in-vivo imaging of neural circuits in C. elegans.