Research

Research Laboratories

Micro and Nano Biosystems Laboratory

principle investigator: Joe Tien

The major challenges, needs, and opportunities for biomedical engineers in the post-genomic era of the 21stcentury lie in making the crucial connections between structure, function, and the design of biomolecules at the micro/ nanoscale to human physiology and pathophysiology at the macroscale . To establish this mesoscale link, cell and subcellular bioengineering will draw from the basic principles of physics, chemistry, molecular biology, engineering, and computation to achieve a detailed understanding of the complex machinery that support basic processes of life. These challenges have spurred the exponential growth of the field of biological microelectromechanical systems (bioMEMS) and biomedical nanotechnology during the last five years. Technologies such as oligonucleotide arrays (gene chips) and integrated fluidic chips for DNA processing promise to transform the world of biochemistry and medicine much in the same way that integrated semiconductor systems transformed the world of electronics and computation. BioMEMS can be broadly classified into two categories: systems that use microelectromechanical devices to perform biochemical or bioanalytical processes (e.g. Lab on a chip) and systems in which biological components are fabricated or arranged into microscale patterns to achieve macroscale function. Examples of the latter technology include lithographic patterning of hepatocytes as well as synthetic oligonucleotide arrays used for functional genomic experimentation. Indeed, in the most futuristic visions of bionanotechnology , we anticipate that the molecular machinery and mechanical enzymes which carry out life¹s functions in cells will be mounted on devices and used for specific processing applications. Design, fabrication, and use of advanced bioMEMS require bioengineers with an interdisciplinary education grounded in the fundamentals of molecular bioengineering science, hard surface science, and the engineering technologies of microfluidics ,microsystem , manufacturing, and sensor fabrication. In addition, the University¹s Fraunhofer Center for Manufacturing Engineering provides a unique resource to facilitate the technology development and transfer that will arise from new approaches. The Center for Nano and MicroScale Biosystems lies within the larger Whitaker Laboratories in Cellular and Subcellular Biomedical Engineering. Faculty members have expertise in biomateials ,biosurface science, biocellular microdevices ,microarrays , and micro/ nano biofabrication . A core curriculum of new and augmented courses will provide a solid foundation in cellular and subcellular bioengineering by emphasizing methods and techniques used to establish an understanding of biomolecules ,subcellular structure and machinery, and macroscopic cell properties and function. BME students will take full advantage of courses that deal with contemporary issues in biomedicine and advanced biotechnology, nano/microscale design and fabrication of biodevices , biomaterials, and tissue engineering. Perhaps more important, the broad education foundation they receive will prepare BME graduate to provide innovations that will directly improve human health.

The facilties will house technologies and active research programs that will provide the materials science concepts, analytical and quality control methods, and chemical strategies needed: (1) to link soft biomolecular structures to hard material surfaces for biosensors, array technologies, new chromatographic designs to provide better chemical discriminators; (2) to create microencapsulation technologies for drug and cell delivery, and (3) to integrate and assemble cells into synthetic tissues and medical devices. The facilities will be used to spark collaborations and intellectual exchanges concerning Cellular and Subcellular Bioengineering. Core facilities include: [startpoint]BioMEMS Fabrication: In this laboratory, lab-on-a-chip system are bioarray systems can be designed a fabricated. This facility will include equipment for microlithography, wet chemical etching, high-aspect-ratio dry etching, plasma-enhanced, chemical vapor deposition, and bioarray synthesis. The laboratory complements existing facilities for microfabrication at the Photonics Center shared Microfabrication Facility, including sputtering, reactive ion deposition/etching, evaporation, and lithography. [point]Micro to Nano Imaging: The core facility will include both transmission and scanning electron microscopes for the examination of structures from molecular to optical wavelength dimensions. Confocal , quantitative fluorescence, and interference contrast microscopies will also be available for imaging at the microscale . Computation image processing, enhancement, and analysis will be integrated with all of the imaging systems.