UROP Research Mentor Project Submission Portal: Submission #875

Overall Research Project Description Microfluidic devices use fluidic channels to achieve highly precise control of nanoliter volumes of liquids. These devices have been used in commercial bio-analysis systems and wearable biotechnology. They are also commonly utilized in biological and health science research. In the Roper laboratory, we apply microfluidics to the study of islets of Langerhans, a micro-organ found in the pancreas. Islets are responsible for the secretion of insulin and other hormones into the bloodstream to regulate blood glucose. In diabetes mellitus, blood glucose becomes dysregulated, resulting in increased risk of heart disease among other life-threatening symptoms. Over half a billion people have diabetes world-wide, making the study of islet dynamics and behavior critical. In the past decade, we have used microfluidic devices to enable measurements of insulin release dynamics from individual islets. Microfluidics have also been central to our study of the interactions between islets under varying glucose conditions and how they synchronize their secretion patterns.
Traditionally, microfluidic devices are fabricated using a technique called photolithography which requires expert training and is labor intensive. With the advent of 3D printers, long fabrication processes requiring highly skilled technicians can be circumvented. Multiple devices can be 3D printed in the same printing run and prototype devices can easily be designed and made, speeding up the development process of microfluidic devices for research, healthcare and bioanalysis applications.
In this project, we will be developing and optimizing methods for 3D printing of microfluidic devices. The UROP student will be learning how to design microfluidic devices in 3D modelling software, and how to fabricate them with 3D printing. Specifically, we would like to design and fabricate a rapid mixing junction which combines and mixes two flows of liquid in a few seconds. We would also like to design a variable microfluidic resistor, a component which would make microfluidic devices significantly easier to design and control. Additionally, any ideas that the student has will certainly be incorporated into the project. If development of the microfluidic components is successful, the devices will be utilized by researchers in our lab and others in the microfluidics field, and likely will result in becoming a named author on a publication.