Lab-on-a-Tip Microfluidics for Cell Analysis and Manipulation

The microfluidic probe (MFP) is a channel-less, “contact-less” technology that eliminates the need for conventional microfluidic channels. Without the “classical” closed conducts, the MFP confines fluids hydrodynamically and thus is mobile and dynamically controlled. As a result, the concept yields a microfluidic delivery tool that works with any physically decoupled substrate, scans across large surfaces, and targets specific objects without interfering with the surrounding sample. For more than a decade, MFPs were limited to biochemical perfusion studies. Recently, we established a framework for rapidly prototyping MFPs in an integrated manner, and consequently advanced the technology by integrating multiphysics elements for actuation and manipulation. In this seminar, I will discuss our efforts in developing the Multiphysics Microfluidic Probes (MMFPs) for multiparametric single-cell manipulation and analysis. The first example targets applications in sequential cell separation and patterning, achieved by integrating the probe with dielectrophoretic forces. “On the fly” cell separation and patterning within an open microfluidic system is of great importance in the field of engineered co-culture models for drug testing and tissue engineering applications. Another example aims to develop the MMFP as an innovative tool for unprecedented multiplex capture of Circulating Tumor Cells (CTCs). The probe is integrated with micromixing elements, while the bottom substrate is functionalized with an array of different capture antibodies. Multiplexed capture of CTCs possesses a great potential in offering new insights on patients’ clinical profiles for diagnostic, prognostic, and personalized medicine applications. The last example to be discussed in this seminar is our ongoing efforts to develop an MMFP for single-cell targeted delivery, sampling, manipulation, and analysis. In this project, we integrate elements for cell electroporation and introduce the new concept of “electro-thermo-fluidic tweezer”, where the tool can manipulate and analyze adherent cells at single-cell levels. This approach will enable extraordinary and innovative experimentations on cells such as gene therapy, subcellular dissection, and high-resolution genotyping.



Biography

Dr. Mohammad A. Qasaimeh

Assistant Professor, NYU Abu Dhabi, Saadiyat Island, UAE

Global Network Assistant Professor, NYU Tandon School of Engineering, Brooklyn, USA

maq4@nyu.edu

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Dr. Qasaimeh is an Associate Professor of Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering at New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD), Abu Dhabi, UAE, and with the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department at Tandon School of Engineering, New York University (NYU), New York, USA. He established the Advanced Microfluidics and Microdevices Laboratory (AMMLab) in 2014, and his current research interests include developing microfluidic and MEMS devices for point-of-care diagnostics. Recently, Dr. Qasaimeh was awarded the Technology Innovation Pioneers (TIP) Award during the TIP 2020 Summit. Prior to joining NYUAD, he was a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a Research Fellow at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Qasaimeh completed his Ph.D. degree in Biomedical Engineering from McGill University, where he received several prestigious fellowships and awards including the NSERC Postdoctoral Fellowship and the Alexander Graham Bell Graduate Scholarship. Dr. Qasaimeh’s research has been published in numerous peer-reviewed journals including Nature Communications, Small, Advanced Materials Technologies, and Lab on a Chip, and he delivered more than 33 keynotes and invited lectures at national and international conferences. Dr. Qasaimeh is actively involved in organizing several local and international conferences, and currently serving as a Co-Chair at the NYU Biomedical and Biosystems Conference series and the Program Chair of the International Conference on Manipulation, Automation and Robotics at Small Scales (MARSS). Dr. Qasaimeh is serving as an Associate Editor with the IEEE Nanotechnology Magazine, a Topic Editor with the journal Biosensors, a Review Editor with the journal Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology, and an Editorial Board Member of Scientific Report at the Nature Publishing Group.

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