(Top) Pinched injections and gated injections of amino acids into a separation channel, imaged using epi-confocal microscopy.
Our research aims at utilizing microfluidic devices to develop both novel analytical and synthetic processes. The research is truly interdisciplinary and intersects many different fields including: chemistry, biology, engineering and physics.
Microfluidic devices offer several solutions to the challenges of biochemical analysis and chemical synthesis. Many of the advantages of microfluidics stem directly from the fluid dynamics of micron scale channels. Briefly, micron diameter channels have low Peclet and Reynolds numbers that result in low convection and laminar flow, respectively. Additionally, the large surface area to volume ratio of microfluidic channels leads to a number of interesting phenomena including capillarity and rapid mass transfer. These fluidic characteristics can be used to generate stable chemical gradients, virtual walls, and micro-emulsions in ways that can't be accomplished in macrofluidic systems. Three dimensional fluidic networks and novel valving mechanisms have enabled microfluidic devices to count, sort or isolate cells, synthesize quantum dots and radioactive NMR probes, just to name a few.
These devices can be extremely complex, some of which are shown in operation to the left. Our goal is to utilize simple microfluidic schemes to perform novel analytical and synthetic operations. Two of our current projects include the development of microscale materials and microdialysis probes.
Figure: (Above) Electropherogram of the 20 amino acids using micellar electrokinetic chromatography. These separations can be performed in as little as 10 seconds, as compared to 10-20 minutes for HPLC or GC.
Gregory Roman, Department of Chemistry, Mount Holyoke College
50 College Street, Carr Laboratories, South Hadley, MA 01075
Phone: (413)-538-3054, Fax: (413)-538-2327, email groman at mtholyoke dot edu