Microfluidics

This technology allows the simultaneous detection of RNA transcript abundance (as an assay of gene expression) and protein abundance (as an assay of protein expression) from biological samples without RNA isolation, labeling or amplification. Existing technologies allow for very efficient determinations of protein abundance from a wide variety of biological samples. These methods are in widespread use and are based on mass spectrometry technologies. There are no available technologies that allow efficient and quantitative assessment of multiple RNA transcripts without a previous isolation followed by labeling and/or amplification. The most efficient technologies currently available make use of DNA microarrays to profile RNA abundance as a measure of gene expression. While very robust and useful, these technologies are very labor intensive and suffer from a number of technological drawbacks. This technology takes advantage of a number of existing methods and techniques and brings them together in a novel manner that greatly expands the state of the art for gene expression.

A metering rotary nanopump for driving BioMEMS and microfluidic systems.

NanoBioreactors recreate the microenvironments of normal tissue, non-adherent cells, tumor-infected tissue and wounded tissue in vitro. These microfabricated bioreactors provide independent control of chemokine and growth factor gradients, shear forces, cellular perfusion and the permeability of physical barriers to cellular migration. This fine control allows detailed optical and electrochemical observations of normal, immune and cancerous cells during activation, division, cell migration, intravasation, extravasation and angiogenesis.