Lab-on-a-chip for individual cell response to light stimulation

Lab-on-a-chip for individual cell response to light stimulation: A three-layer MEMS device

Stortelder, Roel (TU Delft Mechanical, Maritime and Materials Engineering; TU Delft Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science)

Zhang, Kouchi (mentor)
Dong, Jianfei (graduation committee)
van Zeijl, H.W. (graduation committee)
Plettenburg, D.H. (graduation committee)

Delft University of Technology

Electrical Engineering

2019-06-17

Analyzing the different signaling pathways of cells is key in understanding the basic functions of the cells in all organic systems from algae to humans. Not only do they help solve our questions on how organisms function, they also allow for new cures to be explored. A large variety of these signaling pathways can be influenced by light and can, for example, stimulate or inhibit cell growth. This research thesis introduces a new lab-on-a-chip MEMS device to help with the cell signaling exploration with a focus on optical cell stimulation. From a culture of HeLa cells, the chip is able to separate individual cells into different chambers by means of microfluidics. These microfluidic channels are processed using SU-8 and place each cell above an LED. In total, each chip houses ten LEDs with four different wavelengths ranging from 450 to 850 nm. Each of these LEDs is individually addressable through an Arduino MEGA with a Matlab user interface. After an introduction into cell signaling, the thesis describes how the chip is build up from two silicon wafers and one glass wafer, and explores novel assembly methods like SU-8 wafer bonding and the use of apertures.

MEMS
microfluidics
Light Stimulation
Cell signaling
LED

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:730a5aab-4e49-4274-87ae-de1c512bd5b7

Student theses

master thesis

© 2019 Roel Stortelder