Modular Magnetic Digital Microfluidic Platform with 3D-Printed LEGO-Like Building Blocks for On-Demand Bioanalysis
Yi Zhang, Ph.D.
School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
Singapore Center for 3D Printing, Singapore
E-mail: yi_zhang@ntu.edu.sg
Abstract
Magnetic digital microfluidics (MDM) manipulates fluids in the form of droplets on an open substrate, and incorporates surface energy traps (SETs) to facilitate the droplet manipulation. Conventional MDM devices are fabricated monolithically, which makes it difficult the modify the device configuration without completely overhauling the original design. In this talk, we present a modular MDM architecture that enables rapid on-demand configuration and re-configuration of MDM platforms for customized bioanalyses. Each modular component contains a SET and a Lego-like antistud that fits onto a base board with Lego-like studs. We illustrate the versatility of the modular MDM architecture in biomarker sensing, pathogen identification, antibiotic resistance determination and biochemical quantification by demonstrating immunoassays, phenotypical assays and enzymatic assays on various modular MDM platforms configured on demand to accomplish the fluidic operations required by assorted bioanalytical assays. The modular MDM architecture promises great potential for point-of-care diagnostics by offering on-demand customization of testing platforms for various categories of diagnostic assays. It also provides a new avenue for microfluidic assay development with its high configurability which would significantly reduce the time and cost of the development cycle.
Short Bio
Yi Zhang is currently an assistant professor at the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. He is an affiliated faculty member of Singapore Center for 3D Printing, NTU-HP Digital Manufacturing Corporate Lab, NTU Quantum Science and Engineering Center, and Sino-Singapore International Joint Research institute. He received his Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, USA in 2013 and B.Eng in Bioengineering from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore in 2007. He received his postdoc training in the Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, the Agency of Science Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore from 2013−2015, and subsequently worked there as a Research Scientist from 2015−2016. Yi’s research focuses on developing and validating novel assays, platforms and materials using advanced micro/nanotechnologies. His research aims to bridge the gap between engineering advancement and current medicine practice.