MSI Seminars
Microsystems Seminar Series
Unless otherwise noted, seminars are at 4 pm in 1146 AV Williams.
Years... 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010
Speakers...
Abdallah | Aksyuk | Allen | Arnold |
Bergbreiter | Bevilacqua | Ben-Yakar |Bright | Burdick |
Castro |
Erickson |
Fedder | Frankel |
Gangopadhyay | Ghodssi |Gracias | Guiseppi-Elie |
Harrison | Hart | Herr | Hesketh | Howe | Hu | Huang | Hui |
Judy |
Kenney | Khine | Kim | Krylov |
Abraham Lee | Leonardo | Ligler |
Marino | Mehregany | Mitcheson |
Nie |
Pruitt |
Ricco |
Saif | Setti | Shacham-Diamand |
Sia | Smela | Sniadecki | Sochol |
Tadigadapa | Takayama | Toner | Turner |
Venkatasubramanian |
E. Wang | T.-H. J. Wang |
Ziaie | Zappe |
2017
Summer 2017
June 7 (11 am in AVW 2460) <-- Note special time and place.
Compressive Sensing: From Algorithms to Circuits
Gianluca Setti
Politecnico di Torino, Italy
[Abstract and Bio]
Abstract
Many problems in modern information processing platforms can be modeled by the interaction of a stochastic process or algorithm (noise, interference, computation requests) with one or more electronic circuits. Under these conditions, any (near-)optimal system design procedure requires understanding of the stochastic process or algorithm, mapping the algorithm to an implementation with appropriately tunable features, and synergetic design of both the mapping and the algorithm to minimize the complexity of the underlying circuits or optimize the performance of the resulting overall system.
We will apply this procedure to two specific examples of algorithms: 1) Signal acquisition using Compressed Sensing (CS) and 2) Generation of tunable stochastic processes using nonlinear dynamical (chaotic) systems.
CS is an acquisition technique relying on the sparsity of the underlying signals to enable sampling below the classical Nyquist rate. We show that for signals whose energy concentrates in a specific spectral region, the CS acquisition sequences can be designed to maximize their capability to collect the energy of the samples (their “rakeness”) and increase by several dBs the average SNR achieved in signal reconstruction (ARSNR), or to reduce the energy per acquisition necessary to achieve the desired ARSNR. We also show how the use of rakeness can reduce the number of stages of a 0.18um CMOS A/D based on CS from 32 to 16 (64 to 24) for processing ECG (EMG) and that rakeness-derived sequences also eliminate the necessity for pre- or post-acquisition filtering stages used to suppress high frequency artifacts and 60-Hz power-line noise interference. We demonstrate through measurements on Samsung Exynos 5422 and TI TM4C1294NCPDT platforms that the use of rakeness during signal acquisition reduces the computational effort required for signal reconstruction.
Second, we show how nonlinear chaotic maps can be used as generators for stochastic processes with tunable statistical features easily embeddable and implementable in CMOS technology. This leads to multiple possible applications. We will show the implementation of a True RNG using a simple modification of a pipeline A/D converter. Contrary to other wide-spread commercial solutions (for instance by VIA and IdQuantique), the solution is easily implemented as a system-on-chip (SoC) and offers the opportunity for systematic design approaches. Another example is reduction of the power spectrum peak for EMI in switching power converters or SATA interfaces. We will present experimental results showing that our method is able to reduce the power density spectrum peak for EMI by more than 7dB with respect to other state-of- the-art techniques.
Bio
Gianluca Setti received a 1992 Dr. Eng. in Electronic Engineering and a 1997 PhD in Electronic Engineering and Computer Science from the University of Bologna. He is a Professor with the School of Engineering at the University of Ferrara. He also has held visiting positions, including at the University of Washington, at IBM T. J. Watson Laboratories, and at EPFL (Lausanne). He has received the 2004 IEEE Circuits and Systems Society Darlington Award, the 2013 IEEE CASS Guillemin-Cauer Award and the 2013 IEEE CASS Meritorious Service Award. He has also served as Editor-in-Chief for IEEE TCAS-I and IEEE TCAS-II and as the 2010 President of the CAS Society. In 2013-2014 he served as the Vice President for Publication Services and Products for the IEEE. He is a Fellow of the IEEE. He has authored over 260 publications and edited 3 books in nonlinear circuits, recurrent neural networks, implementation and application of chaotic circuits and systems, statistical signal processing, electromagnetic compatibility, biomedical circuits, and systems.
Many problems in modern information processing platforms can be modeled by the interaction of a stochastic process or algorithm (noise, interference, computation requests) with one or more electronic circuits. Under these conditions, any (near-)optimal system design procedure requires understanding of the stochastic process or algorithm, mapping the algorithm to an implementation with appropriately tunable features, and synergetic design of both the mapping and the algorithm to minimize the complexity of the underlying circuits or optimize the performance of the resulting overall system.
We will apply this procedure to two specific examples of algorithms: 1) Signal acquisition using Compressed Sensing (CS) and 2) Generation of tunable stochastic processes using nonlinear dynamical (chaotic) systems.
CS is an acquisition technique relying on the sparsity of the underlying signals to enable sampling below the classical Nyquist rate. We show that for signals whose energy concentrates in a specific spectral region, the CS acquisition sequences can be designed to maximize their capability to collect the energy of the samples (their “rakeness”) and increase by several dBs the average SNR achieved in signal reconstruction (ARSNR), or to reduce the energy per acquisition necessary to achieve the desired ARSNR. We also show how the use of rakeness can reduce the number of stages of a 0.18um CMOS A/D based on CS from 32 to 16 (64 to 24) for processing ECG (EMG) and that rakeness-derived sequences also eliminate the necessity for pre- or post-acquisition filtering stages used to suppress high frequency artifacts and 60-Hz power-line noise interference. We demonstrate through measurements on Samsung Exynos 5422 and TI TM4C1294NCPDT platforms that the use of rakeness during signal acquisition reduces the computational effort required for signal reconstruction.
Second, we show how nonlinear chaotic maps can be used as generators for stochastic processes with tunable statistical features easily embeddable and implementable in CMOS technology. This leads to multiple possible applications. We will show the implementation of a True RNG using a simple modification of a pipeline A/D converter. Contrary to other wide-spread commercial solutions (for instance by VIA and IdQuantique), the solution is easily implemented as a system-on-chip (SoC) and offers the opportunity for systematic design approaches. Another example is reduction of the power spectrum peak for EMI in switching power converters or SATA interfaces. We will present experimental results showing that our method is able to reduce the power density spectrum peak for EMI by more than 7dB with respect to other state-of- the-art techniques.
Bio
Gianluca Setti received a 1992 Dr. Eng. in Electronic Engineering and a 1997 PhD in Electronic Engineering and Computer Science from the University of Bologna. He is a Professor with the School of Engineering at the University of Ferrara. He also has held visiting positions, including at the University of Washington, at IBM T. J. Watson Laboratories, and at EPFL (Lausanne). He has received the 2004 IEEE Circuits and Systems Society Darlington Award, the 2013 IEEE CASS Guillemin-Cauer Award and the 2013 IEEE CASS Meritorious Service Award. He has also served as Editor-in-Chief for IEEE TCAS-I and IEEE TCAS-II and as the 2010 President of the CAS Society. In 2013-2014 he served as the Vice President for Publication Services and Products for the IEEE. He is a Fellow of the IEEE. He has authored over 260 publications and edited 3 books in nonlinear circuits, recurrent neural networks, implementation and application of chaotic circuits and systems, statistical signal processing, electromagnetic compatibility, biomedical circuits, and systems.
Spring 2017
Sponsored by Northrop Grumman
May 4 (4 pm)
Self-assembly of DNA nanomachines and measurement devices
Carlos Castro
Ohio State University
info
[Abstract and Bio]
Abstract
Structural DNA nanotechnology is a rapidly emerging field with exciting potential for applications such as single molecule sensing, drug delivery, and manipulating molecular components. However, realizing the functional potential of DNA nanodevices and nanomachines requires the ability to design dynamic mechanical behavior such as complex motion, conformational dynamics, or force generation. A major focus of our lab is to develop nanomechanical devices by adapting methods used in macroscopic machine design and assembly. I will discuss our development DNA nanostructures with programmable 1D, 2D, and 3D motion as well as dynamic nanostructures with controlled conformational dynamics. We aim to develop devices where nanoscale dynamic behavior (i.e. motion, conformational distributions, and kinetics) can be exploited to probe physical properties or manipulate nanoscale components or molecular interactions in real time. I will also present recent work on implementing a DNA nanocalipers to study the structure and structural dynamics of nucleosomes, the fundamental packaging unit for genomic DNA in cell nuclei, which consist of DNA wrapped around a protein core. Moving forward, our laboratory is working towards implementing these types of nanodevices in bioengineering and biomedical applications in biological and lab-on-a-chip environments.
Bio
Professor Castro received his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Mechanical Engineering both in 2005 from The Ohio State University and his PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2009. He then spent 1.5 years as an Alexander von Humboldt post-doctoral fellow at the Technische Universität München working in the field of DNA nanotechnology. Dr. Castro returned to The Ohio State University in 2011 as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering where his laboratory focuses on the self-assembly of DNA nanomechanical devices as nanomachines and measurement devices to study biophysical function of molecular and cellular systems. He recently received an NSF Career Award, and his lab has published pioneering work in the design of DNA nanomachines with complex motion and mechanical behavior.
Structural DNA nanotechnology is a rapidly emerging field with exciting potential for applications such as single molecule sensing, drug delivery, and manipulating molecular components. However, realizing the functional potential of DNA nanodevices and nanomachines requires the ability to design dynamic mechanical behavior such as complex motion, conformational dynamics, or force generation. A major focus of our lab is to develop nanomechanical devices by adapting methods used in macroscopic machine design and assembly. I will discuss our development DNA nanostructures with programmable 1D, 2D, and 3D motion as well as dynamic nanostructures with controlled conformational dynamics. We aim to develop devices where nanoscale dynamic behavior (i.e. motion, conformational distributions, and kinetics) can be exploited to probe physical properties or manipulate nanoscale components or molecular interactions in real time. I will also present recent work on implementing a DNA nanocalipers to study the structure and structural dynamics of nucleosomes, the fundamental packaging unit for genomic DNA in cell nuclei, which consist of DNA wrapped around a protein core. Moving forward, our laboratory is working towards implementing these types of nanodevices in bioengineering and biomedical applications in biological and lab-on-a-chip environments.
Bio
Professor Castro received his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Mechanical Engineering both in 2005 from The Ohio State University and his PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2009. He then spent 1.5 years as an Alexander von Humboldt post-doctoral fellow at the Technische Universität München working in the field of DNA nanotechnology. Dr. Castro returned to The Ohio State University in 2011 as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering where his laboratory focuses on the self-assembly of DNA nanomechanical devices as nanomachines and measurement devices to study biophysical function of molecular and cellular systems. He recently received an NSF Career Award, and his lab has published pioneering work in the design of DNA nanomachines with complex motion and mechanical behavior.
Feb 21 (4 pm)
Super-Resolution Imaging of Nanostructures on Plasmonic Chip
Shubhra Gangopadhyay
Communications, Circuits, and Sensing Systems (CCSS), National Science Foundation
info
[Abstract and Bio]
Abstract
Advanced super-resolution (SR) techniques rely on expensive, sophisticated, and demanding approaches, such as confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), Airyscanning and ground state depletion (GSD) microscopy. On the other hand, the grating-based surface plasmon resonance (SPR) method can overcome the limit of optical resolution through enhancing and propagating electromagnetic field. In this work, silver nanoparticles (NPs) were imaged utilizing inexpensive silver plasmonic grating platform, fabricated by nanoimprint lithography, with different SR approaches including 3D GSD, Airyscanning and blinking localization microscopy with an epi-fluorescence microscope. In addition, the enhanced fluorescence signal from dye molecules provided a unique ability to observe single-molecule (SM) blinking from 10 nM to 1 fM and lower dye concentrations, as well as, to study the localized effects such as temperature fluctuations, nanoparticle mobility, chemical reactions of nanoenergetics on chip, and bio self-assembly in nanoscal.
Bio
Dr. Shubhra Gangopadhyay is the LaPierre Endowed Chair Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the University of Missouri. She is the Director of Center of Nanotechnology and Nano/Micro-devices at the College of Engineering. Currently, she is serving as a Program Director at the National Science Foundation. Her areas of expertise include plasmonics for super-resolution imaging of nanostructures and sensing, metal nanoparticle-based memory devices, nanostructured dielectric films for micro/nanoelectronics and sensor applications, chemical and biological sensors using nanotechnology platforms, and nano-energetics for defense and biological applications. She has published over 160 journal papers and graduated 25 Ph.D. and 22 MS students and supervised 31 post-doctoral research associates. She is the Fellow of American Physical Society and the Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors. She co-founded three companies and collaborates with many industries and has been very successful in the development and commercialization of technology.
Advanced super-resolution (SR) techniques rely on expensive, sophisticated, and demanding approaches, such as confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), Airyscanning and ground state depletion (GSD) microscopy. On the other hand, the grating-based surface plasmon resonance (SPR) method can overcome the limit of optical resolution through enhancing and propagating electromagnetic field. In this work, silver nanoparticles (NPs) were imaged utilizing inexpensive silver plasmonic grating platform, fabricated by nanoimprint lithography, with different SR approaches including 3D GSD, Airyscanning and blinking localization microscopy with an epi-fluorescence microscope. In addition, the enhanced fluorescence signal from dye molecules provided a unique ability to observe single-molecule (SM) blinking from 10 nM to 1 fM and lower dye concentrations, as well as, to study the localized effects such as temperature fluctuations, nanoparticle mobility, chemical reactions of nanoenergetics on chip, and bio self-assembly in nanoscal.
Bio
Dr. Shubhra Gangopadhyay is the LaPierre Endowed Chair Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the University of Missouri. She is the Director of Center of Nanotechnology and Nano/Micro-devices at the College of Engineering. Currently, she is serving as a Program Director at the National Science Foundation. Her areas of expertise include plasmonics for super-resolution imaging of nanostructures and sensing, metal nanoparticle-based memory devices, nanostructured dielectric films for micro/nanoelectronics and sensor applications, chemical and biological sensors using nanotechnology platforms, and nano-energetics for defense and biological applications. She has published over 160 journal papers and graduated 25 Ph.D. and 22 MS students and supervised 31 post-doctoral research associates. She is the Fellow of American Physical Society and the Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors. She co-founded three companies and collaborates with many industries and has been very successful in the development and commercialization of technology.
2016
Fall 2016
Sponsored by Northrop Grumman
Nov 30 (4 pm)
Cavity optomechanical coupling in chip-scale plasmonic and photonic transducers for nanoscale measurements and optical signal control
Vladimir Aksyuk
Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology, National Institute for Standards and Technologies
info
[Abstract and Bio]
Abstract
Devices controlling light via mechanical motion are ubiquitous, from a simple camera’s zoom lens to the arrays of moving mirrors correcting for atmospheric distortions in telescopes and digitally projecting movies on the cinema screens. The same optomechanical coupling provides one of the best known techniques for measuring mechanical motion, covering length scales form atomic force microscopy to kilometer scale LIGO interferometers to the red shift measurements over billions of light years. We study optomechanical coupling in micro and nanoscale systems that combine electromechanics with photonics and plasmonics, and apply such chip based optomechanical transducers to solve nanoscale measurement problems. As one example, I will present a fast and sensitive probe for atomic force microscopy, combining a nanoscale, picogram mechanical cantilever with an integrated optomechanical readout. Reducing the cantilever size not only increases the transduction bandwidth, but also reduces drag and therefore the thermodynamic force noise when operating in air. Even though the cantilever crossection is much smaller than the optical wavelength, the near-filed coupled high quality factor photonic cavity makes our motion readout exquisitely sensitive. As a second example, I will discuss nanomechanical plasmonic systems, where extreme confinement of the gap plasmon optical modes leads to some of the largest optomechanical coupling coefficients ever observed. I will present electro-mechanical gap plasmon phase modulators and our recent results on nanomechanically tunable deep subwavelength gap plasmon resonators with potential applications for both motion metrology and arbitrary wavefront control via nanoelectromechanically tunable optical metasurfaces.
Bio
Vladimir Aksyuk is a Project Leader in the Nanofabrication Research Group. He received a B.S. in Physics from Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology and a Ph.D. in Physics from Rutgers University. Following research as a Member of Technical Staff and then Technical Manager at Bell Labs, he joined the research staff at NIST. Vladimir's research focuses on the design and fabrication of novel optical MEMS and NEMS systems. He holds more than 50 patents, and has published over 60 papers. In 2000 he received the Bell Labs President's Gold Award, in 2005 was named among MIT Technology Review magazine's TR35, and in 2008 received a Distinguished Alumni award for Early Career Accomplishments from Rutgers Graduate School. In 2014 he was elected Fellow of the American Physical Society for contributions to the development of integrated photonic and mechanical microsystems, for pioneering work in using such systems to enable both telecommunications and novel nanoscale, high-throughput, measurement methods, and for contributions to the understanding of the Casimir force. He is interested in microfabricated systems tightly integrating optical and mechanical degrees of freedom at the nanoscale and is currently developing multiple projects in the use of photonic MEMS and NEMS to address fundamental problems in nanomanufacturing.
Devices controlling light via mechanical motion are ubiquitous, from a simple camera’s zoom lens to the arrays of moving mirrors correcting for atmospheric distortions in telescopes and digitally projecting movies on the cinema screens. The same optomechanical coupling provides one of the best known techniques for measuring mechanical motion, covering length scales form atomic force microscopy to kilometer scale LIGO interferometers to the red shift measurements over billions of light years. We study optomechanical coupling in micro and nanoscale systems that combine electromechanics with photonics and plasmonics, and apply such chip based optomechanical transducers to solve nanoscale measurement problems. As one example, I will present a fast and sensitive probe for atomic force microscopy, combining a nanoscale, picogram mechanical cantilever with an integrated optomechanical readout. Reducing the cantilever size not only increases the transduction bandwidth, but also reduces drag and therefore the thermodynamic force noise when operating in air. Even though the cantilever crossection is much smaller than the optical wavelength, the near-filed coupled high quality factor photonic cavity makes our motion readout exquisitely sensitive. As a second example, I will discuss nanomechanical plasmonic systems, where extreme confinement of the gap plasmon optical modes leads to some of the largest optomechanical coupling coefficients ever observed. I will present electro-mechanical gap plasmon phase modulators and our recent results on nanomechanically tunable deep subwavelength gap plasmon resonators with potential applications for both motion metrology and arbitrary wavefront control via nanoelectromechanically tunable optical metasurfaces.
Bio
Vladimir Aksyuk is a Project Leader in the Nanofabrication Research Group. He received a B.S. in Physics from Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology and a Ph.D. in Physics from Rutgers University. Following research as a Member of Technical Staff and then Technical Manager at Bell Labs, he joined the research staff at NIST. Vladimir's research focuses on the design and fabrication of novel optical MEMS and NEMS systems. He holds more than 50 patents, and has published over 60 papers. In 2000 he received the Bell Labs President's Gold Award, in 2005 was named among MIT Technology Review magazine's TR35, and in 2008 received a Distinguished Alumni award for Early Career Accomplishments from Rutgers Graduate School. In 2014 he was elected Fellow of the American Physical Society for contributions to the development of integrated photonic and mechanical microsystems, for pioneering work in using such systems to enable both telecommunications and novel nanoscale, high-throughput, measurement methods, and for contributions to the understanding of the Casimir force. He is interested in microfabricated systems tightly integrating optical and mechanical degrees of freedom at the nanoscale and is currently developing multiple projects in the use of photonic MEMS and NEMS to address fundamental problems in nanomanufacturing.
Oct 25 (4 pm)
Nanostructured Thermoelectric Materials and Devices
Rama Venkatasubramanian
Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
info
[Abstract and Bio]
Abstract
Thermoelectric semiconductor materials and devices can enable a wide array of applications in solid state cooling of high-power electronics, IR-FPAs and compact air-conditioning systems as well as energy harvesting in many scenarios including solar-thermal, automotive exhaust heat, industrial waste heat, etc. One of the two major limitations in the widespread use of thermoelectric technology has been the materials figure of merit (ZT) and the other being the ability to translate the enhanced materials’ ZT to a device performance, overcoming various device electrical and thermal losses. These limitations have significantly curtailed the widespread use of semiconductor-based thermoelectric devices since their original development in 1950’s, at about the same time semiconductor-based transistors rose to prominence, even though they offer several other advantages like reliability, noise-free operation, and a green technology. Nanoscale materials based on superlattices, nano-dots, nano-wires and nano-bulk materials with second phases or nano-inclusions have become dominant approaches to enhancing the ZT in thermoelectric materials since 2001 (Nature 413, 597 (2001) and they have been further validated recently (Nature 451, 163 (2008), Nature 451, 168 (2008) and Science 320, 634 (2008)). Almost all of the recent successful efforts in ZT improvement have been a result of the significant reduction in lattice thermal conductivity through phonon scattering in nanostructures, without affecting the electrical transport of electrons or holes, by the so-called phonon-blocking electron-transmitting structures. Studies on the phonon-transport using femto-second optical and acoustic phonon property measurements have provided further understanding of the physics behind thermal conductivity reduction in superlattices. Careful band offset measurements have been carried out to understand and model carrier transport across interfaces in several superlattice systems. Device developments using advanced nanoscale superlattice thermoelectric materials, like hot-spot cooling of high performance electronics (Nature Nanotechnology 4, 235 (2009), power generation, and other biomedical applications will be presented.
Bio
Dr. Venkatasubramanian (Ph.D. Rensselaer, New York, 1988; B.S. IIT Madras, India, 1983; Electrical Engineering) is dedicated to the innovation and advancement of several solid state energy efficient materials and device technologies as well as transitioning them to DoD system integrators and industry. Dr. Venkatasubramanian is at the Johns Hopkins University, Applied Physics Lab (JHU/APL) as Team Leader for Energy and Thermal Management in the Research and Exploratory Development department. At JHU/APL, he is responsible for leading, initiating ideas, and collaborating with a team of engineers, senior scientists and other program management staff to develop advanced solid state energy technologies in thermoelectrics, photovoltaics, batteries and electronics thermal management for meeting the needs of US DoD and to position JHU/APL as a world-leading lab in advanced thermoelectrics. Until April 2013, Dr. Venkatasubramanian was the Senior Research Director of the Center for Solid State Energetics at RTI International, where he directed innovative basic and applied research in thermoelectrics, photovoltaics, and optoelectronic materials and devices for solid state energy conversion applications. Dr. Venkatasubramanian was the Founder and the Chief Technology Officer of Nextreme Thermal Solutions (2004-2006) which is commercializing technologies developed under his leadership with DARPA support; Nextreme was acquired by Laird Technologies in early 2013. Dr. Venkatasubramanian has over 115 peer-reviewed journal and conference publications, 17 issued patents, over 100 presentations in the area of thermoelectric materials and devices, photovoltaics, optoelectronics, and 5 book chapters and edited proceedings. Dr. Venkatasubramanian initiated and developed a research program focused on demonstrating the fundamental advantages of atomically engineered superlattices and other nanoscale materials; this research resulted in the first major breakthrough in the field of thermoelectrics in 40 years (Nature 2001, Nature Nanotechnology 2009) and has led to hundreds of laboratories around the world working on other nanoscale thermoelectric materials. Dr. Venkatasubramanian has received the R&D 100 Awards in 2002 and 2010 for thermoelectric innovations, the Margaret Knox Excellence Award for research at RTI in 2002 and Rensselaer’s Allen B. Dumont Prize for research achievements. Dr. Venkatasubramanian was elected Fellow of the IEEE (2011) and a Fellow of AAAS (2012) for seminal contributions to nanoscale thermoelectrics for thermal management of electronics and energy harvesting. Dr. Venkatasubramanian has also contributed to advances in multi-junction GaAs-based photovoltaics, has received a best paper award at the IEEE First World Conference and his work was recognized as key achievements by the US Department of Energy. Dr. Venkatasubramanian serves as an Editor of the IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices, has organized several symposia and has edited proceedings in thermoelectrics, energy harvesting and nanoscale thermal transport for the American Physical Society, Materials Research Society, IEEE and other professional societies.
Thermoelectric semiconductor materials and devices can enable a wide array of applications in solid state cooling of high-power electronics, IR-FPAs and compact air-conditioning systems as well as energy harvesting in many scenarios including solar-thermal, automotive exhaust heat, industrial waste heat, etc. One of the two major limitations in the widespread use of thermoelectric technology has been the materials figure of merit (ZT) and the other being the ability to translate the enhanced materials’ ZT to a device performance, overcoming various device electrical and thermal losses. These limitations have significantly curtailed the widespread use of semiconductor-based thermoelectric devices since their original development in 1950’s, at about the same time semiconductor-based transistors rose to prominence, even though they offer several other advantages like reliability, noise-free operation, and a green technology. Nanoscale materials based on superlattices, nano-dots, nano-wires and nano-bulk materials with second phases or nano-inclusions have become dominant approaches to enhancing the ZT in thermoelectric materials since 2001 (Nature 413, 597 (2001) and they have been further validated recently (Nature 451, 163 (2008), Nature 451, 168 (2008) and Science 320, 634 (2008)). Almost all of the recent successful efforts in ZT improvement have been a result of the significant reduction in lattice thermal conductivity through phonon scattering in nanostructures, without affecting the electrical transport of electrons or holes, by the so-called phonon-blocking electron-transmitting structures. Studies on the phonon-transport using femto-second optical and acoustic phonon property measurements have provided further understanding of the physics behind thermal conductivity reduction in superlattices. Careful band offset measurements have been carried out to understand and model carrier transport across interfaces in several superlattice systems. Device developments using advanced nanoscale superlattice thermoelectric materials, like hot-spot cooling of high performance electronics (Nature Nanotechnology 4, 235 (2009), power generation, and other biomedical applications will be presented.
Bio
Dr. Venkatasubramanian (Ph.D. Rensselaer, New York, 1988; B.S. IIT Madras, India, 1983; Electrical Engineering) is dedicated to the innovation and advancement of several solid state energy efficient materials and device technologies as well as transitioning them to DoD system integrators and industry. Dr. Venkatasubramanian is at the Johns Hopkins University, Applied Physics Lab (JHU/APL) as Team Leader for Energy and Thermal Management in the Research and Exploratory Development department. At JHU/APL, he is responsible for leading, initiating ideas, and collaborating with a team of engineers, senior scientists and other program management staff to develop advanced solid state energy technologies in thermoelectrics, photovoltaics, batteries and electronics thermal management for meeting the needs of US DoD and to position JHU/APL as a world-leading lab in advanced thermoelectrics. Until April 2013, Dr. Venkatasubramanian was the Senior Research Director of the Center for Solid State Energetics at RTI International, where he directed innovative basic and applied research in thermoelectrics, photovoltaics, and optoelectronic materials and devices for solid state energy conversion applications. Dr. Venkatasubramanian was the Founder and the Chief Technology Officer of Nextreme Thermal Solutions (2004-2006) which is commercializing technologies developed under his leadership with DARPA support; Nextreme was acquired by Laird Technologies in early 2013. Dr. Venkatasubramanian has over 115 peer-reviewed journal and conference publications, 17 issued patents, over 100 presentations in the area of thermoelectric materials and devices, photovoltaics, optoelectronics, and 5 book chapters and edited proceedings. Dr. Venkatasubramanian initiated and developed a research program focused on demonstrating the fundamental advantages of atomically engineered superlattices and other nanoscale materials; this research resulted in the first major breakthrough in the field of thermoelectrics in 40 years (Nature 2001, Nature Nanotechnology 2009) and has led to hundreds of laboratories around the world working on other nanoscale thermoelectric materials. Dr. Venkatasubramanian has received the R&D 100 Awards in 2002 and 2010 for thermoelectric innovations, the Margaret Knox Excellence Award for research at RTI in 2002 and Rensselaer’s Allen B. Dumont Prize for research achievements. Dr. Venkatasubramanian was elected Fellow of the IEEE (2011) and a Fellow of AAAS (2012) for seminal contributions to nanoscale thermoelectrics for thermal management of electronics and energy harvesting. Dr. Venkatasubramanian has also contributed to advances in multi-junction GaAs-based photovoltaics, has received a best paper award at the IEEE First World Conference and his work was recognized as key achievements by the US Department of Energy. Dr. Venkatasubramanian serves as an Editor of the IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices, has organized several symposia and has edited proceedings in thermoelectrics, energy harvesting and nanoscale thermal transport for the American Physical Society, Materials Research Society, IEEE and other professional societies.
Sept 21 (4 pm)
Mixing Microsystems and Robotics
Sarah Bergbreiter
University of Maryland
info
[Abstract and Bio]
Abstract
Research on mobile microrobots has been ongoing for the last 20 years, but the few robots that have walked have done so at slow speeds on smooth silicon wafers. However, ants can move at speeds over 40 body lengths/second on surfaces from picnic tables to front lawns. What challenges do we still need to tackle for microrobots to achieve this incredible mobility? This talk will discuss some of the mechanisms and motors we have designed and fabricated to enable robot mobility at the insect size scale as well as the use of microfabrication to improve larger robots. Mechanisms and sensors utilize new microfabrication processes to incorporate materials with widely varying moduli and functionality for more complexity in smaller packages. Actuators are designed to provide significant improvements in force density, efficiency and robustness over previous microactuators. Results include a 25 mg 4mm x 4mm x 5mm walking microrobot that can move at speeds > 5 body lengths/sec and 'skins' of soft sensors for improved performance in robot grasping and UAVs.
Bio
Sarah Bergbreiter joined the University of Maryland, College Park in 2008 and is currently an Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering, with a joint appointment in the Institute for Systems Research. She received her B.S.E. degree in Electrical Engineering from Princeton University in 1999, and the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of California, Berkeley in 2004 and 2007 with a focus on microrobotics. She received the DARPA Young Faculty Award in 2008, the NSF CAREER Award in 2011, and the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) in 2013 for her research on engineering robotic systems down to sub-millimeter size scales. She also received the Best Conference Paper Award at IEEE ICRA 2010 on her work incorporating new materials into microrobotics and the NTF Award at IEEE IROS 2011 for early demonstrations of jumping microrobots.
Research on mobile microrobots has been ongoing for the last 20 years, but the few robots that have walked have done so at slow speeds on smooth silicon wafers. However, ants can move at speeds over 40 body lengths/second on surfaces from picnic tables to front lawns. What challenges do we still need to tackle for microrobots to achieve this incredible mobility? This talk will discuss some of the mechanisms and motors we have designed and fabricated to enable robot mobility at the insect size scale as well as the use of microfabrication to improve larger robots. Mechanisms and sensors utilize new microfabrication processes to incorporate materials with widely varying moduli and functionality for more complexity in smaller packages. Actuators are designed to provide significant improvements in force density, efficiency and robustness over previous microactuators. Results include a 25 mg 4mm x 4mm x 5mm walking microrobot that can move at speeds > 5 body lengths/sec and 'skins' of soft sensors for improved performance in robot grasping and UAVs.
Bio
Sarah Bergbreiter joined the University of Maryland, College Park in 2008 and is currently an Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering, with a joint appointment in the Institute for Systems Research. She received her B.S.E. degree in Electrical Engineering from Princeton University in 1999, and the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of California, Berkeley in 2004 and 2007 with a focus on microrobotics. She received the DARPA Young Faculty Award in 2008, the NSF CAREER Award in 2011, and the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) in 2013 for her research on engineering robotic systems down to sub-millimeter size scales. She also received the Best Conference Paper Award at IEEE ICRA 2010 on her work incorporating new materials into microrobotics and the NTF Award at IEEE IROS 2011 for early demonstrations of jumping microrobots.
Spring 2016
May 6 (1 pm)
Note special time: 1 pm
Microfluidics for 3D tissue engineering and personal health diagnostics
Sam Sia
Columbia University
info
[Abstract]
Abstract
I will discuss the use of microfluidic techniques for two different applications: controlling 3D microenvironments of cells and tissues, and for developing low-cost point-of-care diagnostics for use in U.S. and in developing countries. 1) A number of microfluidic techniques have been developed in our group for controlling the 3D microenvironments of cells and tissues to high resolution. These techniques are useful for studying microvascularization in a number of organ systems, and for engineering implantable devices. 2) In the second half of the talk, I will discuss the development of lab-on-a-chip devices for personal health in the U.S., and for diagnosing diseases for global health. I will discuss our lab's current efforts, in conjunction with partners in industry, public health, and local governments, to develop new rapid diagnostic tests for use in sub-Saharan Africa.
I will discuss the use of microfluidic techniques for two different applications: controlling 3D microenvironments of cells and tissues, and for developing low-cost point-of-care diagnostics for use in U.S. and in developing countries. 1) A number of microfluidic techniques have been developed in our group for controlling the 3D microenvironments of cells and tissues to high resolution. These techniques are useful for studying microvascularization in a number of organ systems, and for engineering implantable devices. 2) In the second half of the talk, I will discuss the development of lab-on-a-chip devices for personal health in the U.S., and for diagnosing diseases for global health. I will discuss our lab's current efforts, in conjunction with partners in industry, public health, and local governments, to develop new rapid diagnostic tests for use in sub-Saharan Africa.
April 14
(Special MicroSystems Seminar)
Microfluidic Tools for Protein Crystallography
Bobby Abdallah
Arizona State University
[Abstract & Bio]
Abstract
X-ray crystallography is the most widely used method to determine the structure of proteins, providing an understanding of their functions in all aspects of life to advance applications in fields such as drug development and renewable energy. New techniques, namely serial femtosecond crystallography (SFX), have unlocked the ability to unravel the structures of complex proteins with vital biological functions. A key step in the process is protein crystallization, which is very arduous due to the complexity of proteins and their natural environments, making it a major bottleneck of structure determination. Furthermore, crystals with certain characteristics are desired to attain the most accurate reconstruction of the protein structure. Crystal size is one such characteristic in which narrowed distributions with a small modal size can significantly reduce the amount of protein needed for SFX. The first part of the talk will discuss a novel microfluidic sorting platform to isolate viable ~200 nm – ~600 nm photosystem I (PSI) membrane protein crystals from ~200 nm – ~20 μm crystal samples using dielectrophoresis, as confirmed by fluorescence microscopy, second-order nonlinear imaging of chiral crystals (SONICC), and dynamic light scattering. This platform was then scaled-up to rapidly provide 100s of microliters of sorted crystals necessary for SFX, in which similar crystal size distributions were attained. Transmission electron microscopy provided a view of the PSI crystal lattice, which remained well-ordered post-sorting, and SFX diffraction data was obtained, confirming a high-quality, viable crystal sample. The second part of the talk will discuss microfluidic devices for versatile, rapid protein crystallization screening using nanoscale sample amounts. A modified counter-diffusion approach will be shown whereby concentration gradients of protein and precipitant were established to crystallize PSI, phycocyanin, and lysozyme. Additionally, a passive mixing system will be shown that generates unique solution concentrations within isolated nanowells to crystallize phycocyanin and lysozyme. Crystal imaging with bright field microscopy, UV fluorescence, and SONICC coupled with numerical modeling allowed quantification of crystal growth conditions for efficient phase diagram development. The developed microfluidic tools demonstrated the capability of providing optimal samples for protein crystallography, offering a foundation for continued development of platforms to further improve protein structure determination.
Bio
Mr. Abdallah graduated with a B.S. in Chemistry from Arizona State University in 2011 during which he began conducting research in analytical chemistry and microfluidics. He is pursuing a PhD in Chemistry at Arizona State University, which he expects to be completed in spring 2016. His PhD advisor is Prof. Alexandra Ros, who leads a bioanalytical microfluidics research lab focused on using electrokinetic, dielectrophoretic, and other transport phenomena for separations and analysis of particles and biomolecules. Mr. Abdallah's projects focus on engineering and utilizing microfluidic devices to improve protein structure determination including applications in protein crystallization and protein crystal fractionation to optimize samples for X-ray crystallography.
X-ray crystallography is the most widely used method to determine the structure of proteins, providing an understanding of their functions in all aspects of life to advance applications in fields such as drug development and renewable energy. New techniques, namely serial femtosecond crystallography (SFX), have unlocked the ability to unravel the structures of complex proteins with vital biological functions. A key step in the process is protein crystallization, which is very arduous due to the complexity of proteins and their natural environments, making it a major bottleneck of structure determination. Furthermore, crystals with certain characteristics are desired to attain the most accurate reconstruction of the protein structure. Crystal size is one such characteristic in which narrowed distributions with a small modal size can significantly reduce the amount of protein needed for SFX. The first part of the talk will discuss a novel microfluidic sorting platform to isolate viable ~200 nm – ~600 nm photosystem I (PSI) membrane protein crystals from ~200 nm – ~20 μm crystal samples using dielectrophoresis, as confirmed by fluorescence microscopy, second-order nonlinear imaging of chiral crystals (SONICC), and dynamic light scattering. This platform was then scaled-up to rapidly provide 100s of microliters of sorted crystals necessary for SFX, in which similar crystal size distributions were attained. Transmission electron microscopy provided a view of the PSI crystal lattice, which remained well-ordered post-sorting, and SFX diffraction data was obtained, confirming a high-quality, viable crystal sample. The second part of the talk will discuss microfluidic devices for versatile, rapid protein crystallization screening using nanoscale sample amounts. A modified counter-diffusion approach will be shown whereby concentration gradients of protein and precipitant were established to crystallize PSI, phycocyanin, and lysozyme. Additionally, a passive mixing system will be shown that generates unique solution concentrations within isolated nanowells to crystallize phycocyanin and lysozyme. Crystal imaging with bright field microscopy, UV fluorescence, and SONICC coupled with numerical modeling allowed quantification of crystal growth conditions for efficient phase diagram development. The developed microfluidic tools demonstrated the capability of providing optimal samples for protein crystallography, offering a foundation for continued development of platforms to further improve protein structure determination.
Bio
Mr. Abdallah graduated with a B.S. in Chemistry from Arizona State University in 2011 during which he began conducting research in analytical chemistry and microfluidics. He is pursuing a PhD in Chemistry at Arizona State University, which he expects to be completed in spring 2016. His PhD advisor is Prof. Alexandra Ros, who leads a bioanalytical microfluidics research lab focused on using electrokinetic, dielectrophoretic, and other transport phenomena for separations and analysis of particles and biomolecules. Mr. Abdallah's projects focus on engineering and utilizing microfluidic devices to improve protein structure determination including applications in protein crystallization and protein crystal fractionation to optimize samples for X-ray crystallography.
March 25 (9 am)
Note special time: 9 am
SMART: Shrink Manufacturing Advanced Research Technologies
Michelle Khine
University of California, Irvine
info
[Abstract & Bio]
Abstract
The challenge of micro- and nano-fabrication lies in the difficulties and costs associated with patterning at such high resolution. To make such promising technology – which could enable pervasive health monitoring and disease detection/surveillance - more accessible and pervasive, there is a critical need to develop a manufacturing approach such that prototypes as well as complete manufactured devices cost only pennies. To accomplish this, instead of relying on traditional fabrication techniques largely inherited from the semiconductor industry, we have developed a radically different approach. Leveraging the inherent heat-induced relaxation of pre-stressed thermoplastic sheets – commodity shrink-wrap film - we pattern in a variety of ways at the large scale and achieve desired structures by controlled shrinking down to 5% of the original, patterned sizes. The entire process takes only seconds yet enables us to ‘beat’ the limit inherent to traditional ‘top-down’ manufacturing approaches. With these tunable shape memory polymers, compatible with roll-to-roll as well as lithographic processing, we can robustly integrate various materials from thin metal films to various nanomaterials in order to achieve extremely high surface area, densified, and high aspect ratio nanostructures directly into our microsystems.
Bio
Michelle Khine is an Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science at UC Irvine. Michelle was recently appointed Director of Faculty Innovation at the Henry Samueli School of Engineering and as Director of BioENGINE (BioEngineering Innovation and Entrepreneurship) at the Institute for Innovation at UC Irvine. She was an Assistant & Founding Professor at UC Merced. Michelle received her BS and MS from UC Berkeley in Mechanical Engineering and her PhD in Bioengineering from UC Berkeley and UCSF. She was the Scientific Founder of Fluxion Biosciences, Shrink Nanotechnologies, Novoheart, and most recently, TinyKicks. Michelle was the recipient of the TR35 Award and named one of Forbes ’10 Revolutionaries’ in 2009 and by Fast Company Magazine as one of the '100 Most Creative People in Business' in 2011. She was awarded the NIH New Innovator's Award, was named a finalist in the World Technology Awards for Materials, and was named by Marie‐Claire magazine as 'Women on Top: Top Scientist' and was recently inducted as a Fellow of AIMBE (American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering). She is currently working on a novel 'co-op' with her students, 'A Hundred Tiny Hands' to promote STEM outreach.
The challenge of micro- and nano-fabrication lies in the difficulties and costs associated with patterning at such high resolution. To make such promising technology – which could enable pervasive health monitoring and disease detection/surveillance - more accessible and pervasive, there is a critical need to develop a manufacturing approach such that prototypes as well as complete manufactured devices cost only pennies. To accomplish this, instead of relying on traditional fabrication techniques largely inherited from the semiconductor industry, we have developed a radically different approach. Leveraging the inherent heat-induced relaxation of pre-stressed thermoplastic sheets – commodity shrink-wrap film - we pattern in a variety of ways at the large scale and achieve desired structures by controlled shrinking down to 5% of the original, patterned sizes. The entire process takes only seconds yet enables us to ‘beat’ the limit inherent to traditional ‘top-down’ manufacturing approaches. With these tunable shape memory polymers, compatible with roll-to-roll as well as lithographic processing, we can robustly integrate various materials from thin metal films to various nanomaterials in order to achieve extremely high surface area, densified, and high aspect ratio nanostructures directly into our microsystems.
Bio
Michelle Khine is an Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science at UC Irvine. Michelle was recently appointed Director of Faculty Innovation at the Henry Samueli School of Engineering and as Director of BioENGINE (BioEngineering Innovation and Entrepreneurship) at the Institute for Innovation at UC Irvine. She was an Assistant & Founding Professor at UC Merced. Michelle received her BS and MS from UC Berkeley in Mechanical Engineering and her PhD in Bioengineering from UC Berkeley and UCSF. She was the Scientific Founder of Fluxion Biosciences, Shrink Nanotechnologies, Novoheart, and most recently, TinyKicks. Michelle was the recipient of the TR35 Award and named one of Forbes ’10 Revolutionaries’ in 2009 and by Fast Company Magazine as one of the '100 Most Creative People in Business' in 2011. She was awarded the NIH New Innovator's Award, was named a finalist in the World Technology Awards for Materials, and was named by Marie‐Claire magazine as 'Women on Top: Top Scientist' and was recently inducted as a Fellow of AIMBE (American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering). She is currently working on a novel 'co-op' with her students, 'A Hundred Tiny Hands' to promote STEM outreach.
Feb 25 (1 pm)
Alternative Microscale 3D Printing Methods for Biology
Ryan Sochol
University of Maryland
info
[Abstract & Bio]
Abstract
In President Barack Obama’s State of the Union Address, he remarked that 3D printing could change “the way we make almost everything.” Similar to the way in which the transition from vacuum tube technologies to solid-state components transformed the field of electronics, a shift from conventional monolithic microfabrication methods (e.g., soft lithography) to emerging geometrically-versatile 3D printing processes could revolutionize diverse biological and biomedical fields. In this research seminar, Prof. Ryan D. Sochol will discuss how his Bioinspired Advanced Manufacturing (BAM) Laboratory is utilizing state-of-the-art micro/nanoscale 3D printing technologies – recently installed at the University of Maryland, College Park – to solve mechanically and physically-complex biological challenges. In particular, Prof. Sochol will discuss the development of: (i) 3D printed integrated microfluidic circuitry via multijet modeling (~32 µm resolution), (ii) new platforms for cell mechanobiology via two-photon direct laser writing (~100-400 nm resolution), and (iii) biomimetic “Kidney-on-a-Chip” living systems via polyjet printing (~16 µm resolution).
Bio
Prior to joining the faculty at the University of Maryland, College Park, Dr. Sochol served two primary academic roles: (i) as an NIH Fellow within the Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences & Technology, Harvard Medical School, and Brigham & Women’s Hospital, and (ii) as the Director of the Micro Mechanical Methods for Biology (M3B) Laboratory Program within the Berkeley Sensor & Actuator Center at the University of California, Berkeley. Previously, Dr. Sochol majored in Mechanical Engineering, receiving his B.S. from Northwestern University in 2006, and both his M.S. and Ph.D. from UC Berkeley in 2009 and 2011, respectively, with Doctoral Minors in Bioengineering and Public Health. Thereafter, Dr. Sochol served as a Visiting Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Tokyo and as a Postdoctoral Scholar at UC Berkeley. Over the past several years, Dr. Sochol has advised over 100 student researchers from universities including UC Berkeley, Harvard, MIT, Wellesley, ETH Zurich, and UMD on projects at the intersection of micro/nanoscale engineering and biology.
In President Barack Obama’s State of the Union Address, he remarked that 3D printing could change “the way we make almost everything.” Similar to the way in which the transition from vacuum tube technologies to solid-state components transformed the field of electronics, a shift from conventional monolithic microfabrication methods (e.g., soft lithography) to emerging geometrically-versatile 3D printing processes could revolutionize diverse biological and biomedical fields. In this research seminar, Prof. Ryan D. Sochol will discuss how his Bioinspired Advanced Manufacturing (BAM) Laboratory is utilizing state-of-the-art micro/nanoscale 3D printing technologies – recently installed at the University of Maryland, College Park – to solve mechanically and physically-complex biological challenges. In particular, Prof. Sochol will discuss the development of: (i) 3D printed integrated microfluidic circuitry via multijet modeling (~32 µm resolution), (ii) new platforms for cell mechanobiology via two-photon direct laser writing (~100-400 nm resolution), and (iii) biomimetic “Kidney-on-a-Chip” living systems via polyjet printing (~16 µm resolution).
Bio
Prior to joining the faculty at the University of Maryland, College Park, Dr. Sochol served two primary academic roles: (i) as an NIH Fellow within the Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences & Technology, Harvard Medical School, and Brigham & Women’s Hospital, and (ii) as the Director of the Micro Mechanical Methods for Biology (M3B) Laboratory Program within the Berkeley Sensor & Actuator Center at the University of California, Berkeley. Previously, Dr. Sochol majored in Mechanical Engineering, receiving his B.S. from Northwestern University in 2006, and both his M.S. and Ph.D. from UC Berkeley in 2009 and 2011, respectively, with Doctoral Minors in Bioengineering and Public Health. Thereafter, Dr. Sochol served as a Visiting Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Tokyo and as a Postdoctoral Scholar at UC Berkeley. Over the past several years, Dr. Sochol has advised over 100 student researchers from universities including UC Berkeley, Harvard, MIT, Wellesley, ETH Zurich, and UMD on projects at the intersection of micro/nanoscale engineering and biology.
2015
Fall 2015
Nov 10
Scalable NanoStructures for Energy Storage and Flexible Electronics
Liangbing Hu
University of Maryland
info
[Abstract & Bio]
Abstract
Dr. Hu will discuss his work in the past three years related to nanostructures for energy devices and flexible electronics. (1)Nanoporous paper with 1D wood cellulose for solar cells, batteries and flexible electronics. I will discuss our recent results and the fundamental science of novel transparent paper with tailored optical and mechanical properties, and applications in flexible electronics, origami devices and solar cells. I will also discuss the fundamental advantages of using mesoporous, soft wood fibers for low-cost Na-ion batteries. (2) 2D materials for batteries and transparent electrodes. I will discuss the manipulations of electrons, ions, photons, and phonons in scalable paper-like thin films with 2D materials. Examples will include our recent innovative work on intercalation optoelectronics on graphene (electron, ion and photon), high-performance Na-ion batteries (electrons, ion) and thermally conductive BN film.
Bio
Liangbing Hu received his B.S. in applied physics from the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) in 2002. He did his Ph.D. in at UCLA (with George Gruner), focusing on carbon nanotube based nanoelectronics. In 2006, he joined Unidym Inc (www.unidym.com (link is external)) as a co-founding scientist. At Unidym, Liangbing’s role was the development of roll-to-roll printed carbon nanotube transparent electrodes and device integrations into touch screens, LCDs, flexible OLEDs and solar cells. He worked at Stanford University (with Yi Cui) from 2009-2011, where he work on various energy devices based on nanomaterials and nanostructures. Currently, he is an assistant professor at University of Maryland College Park. His research interests include nanomaterials and nanostructures, roll-to-roll nanomanufacturing, energy storage and conversion, and printed electronics, with a focus on green materials.
Dr. Hu will discuss his work in the past three years related to nanostructures for energy devices and flexible electronics. (1)Nanoporous paper with 1D wood cellulose for solar cells, batteries and flexible electronics. I will discuss our recent results and the fundamental science of novel transparent paper with tailored optical and mechanical properties, and applications in flexible electronics, origami devices and solar cells. I will also discuss the fundamental advantages of using mesoporous, soft wood fibers for low-cost Na-ion batteries. (2) 2D materials for batteries and transparent electrodes. I will discuss the manipulations of electrons, ions, photons, and phonons in scalable paper-like thin films with 2D materials. Examples will include our recent innovative work on intercalation optoelectronics on graphene (electron, ion and photon), high-performance Na-ion batteries (electrons, ion) and thermally conductive BN film.
Bio
Liangbing Hu received his B.S. in applied physics from the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) in 2002. He did his Ph.D. in at UCLA (with George Gruner), focusing on carbon nanotube based nanoelectronics. In 2006, he joined Unidym Inc (www.unidym.com (link is external)) as a co-founding scientist. At Unidym, Liangbing’s role was the development of roll-to-roll printed carbon nanotube transparent electrodes and device integrations into touch screens, LCDs, flexible OLEDs and solar cells. He worked at Stanford University (with Yi Cui) from 2009-2011, where he work on various energy devices based on nanomaterials and nanostructures. Currently, he is an assistant professor at University of Maryland College Park. His research interests include nanomaterials and nanostructures, roll-to-roll nanomanufacturing, energy storage and conversion, and printed electronics, with a focus on green materials.
Oct 20
Origami microsystems: From metamaterials to dust-sized surgical tools
David Gracias
Johns Hopkins University
info
[Abstract & Bio]
Abstract
Strain engineering can be combined with lithography to transform planar thin films patterns into three dimensional structures. In this talk, I will discuss strategies to pattern metals, 2D layered materials such as graphene, polymer and hydrogel films so that they assemble either spontaneously or in response to a stimulus into static or reconfigurable materials and devices via capillary forces, thin film stress and swelling. It is important to note that in our work, we do not utilize any kind of electrical wiring or active control over the folding or bending pathways; rather the structures self-assemble into their energetic minima when the forces within the material balance each other.
There are several advantages of this approach including, (a) parallel scalable assembly both on-chip and off-chip, (b) precise patterning of nanometer sized features in all three dimensions, (c) facile layering of films in a rolled or folded architecture and (d) actuation without the need for external or on-board power sources. I will highlight applications of these approaches in the construction of metamaterials, bio-origami hydrogels, lab-on-a-chip devices, stimuli responsive drug delivery systems and tiny surgical tools. I will also discuss our studies on the first ever in-vivo biopsies using dust sized forceps.
Bio
Prof. Gracias studied at the Indian Institute of Technology (undergraduate), UC Berkeley (PhD, 1999) and Harvard University (post-doc) and worked in R&D at Intel Corporation prior to starting his independent laboratory at the Johns Hopkins University in 2003. He has published over 100 journal publications in prestigious journals such as Science, PNAS, Nature Communications and Nano Letters and has 26 issued US patents. Significant awards include the NIH Director’s New Innovator Award, the DuPont Young Professor Award, Beckman Young Investigator Award, Camille-Dreyfus Teacher Scholar Award, Maryland Outstanding Young Engineer Award and the NSF Career Award. He is a Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE).
Strain engineering can be combined with lithography to transform planar thin films patterns into three dimensional structures. In this talk, I will discuss strategies to pattern metals, 2D layered materials such as graphene, polymer and hydrogel films so that they assemble either spontaneously or in response to a stimulus into static or reconfigurable materials and devices via capillary forces, thin film stress and swelling. It is important to note that in our work, we do not utilize any kind of electrical wiring or active control over the folding or bending pathways; rather the structures self-assemble into their energetic minima when the forces within the material balance each other.
There are several advantages of this approach including, (a) parallel scalable assembly both on-chip and off-chip, (b) precise patterning of nanometer sized features in all three dimensions, (c) facile layering of films in a rolled or folded architecture and (d) actuation without the need for external or on-board power sources. I will highlight applications of these approaches in the construction of metamaterials, bio-origami hydrogels, lab-on-a-chip devices, stimuli responsive drug delivery systems and tiny surgical tools. I will also discuss our studies on the first ever in-vivo biopsies using dust sized forceps.
Bio
Prof. Gracias studied at the Indian Institute of Technology (undergraduate), UC Berkeley (PhD, 1999) and Harvard University (post-doc) and worked in R&D at Intel Corporation prior to starting his independent laboratory at the Johns Hopkins University in 2003. He has published over 100 journal publications in prestigious journals such as Science, PNAS, Nature Communications and Nano Letters and has 26 issued US patents. Significant awards include the NIH Director’s New Innovator Award, the DuPont Young Professor Award, Beckman Young Investigator Award, Camille-Dreyfus Teacher Scholar Award, Maryland Outstanding Young Engineer Award and the NSF Career Award. He is a Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE).
Oct 7
Cell-Based Nose on a Chip
Elisabeth Smela
University of Maryland
info
[Abstract & Bio]
Abstract
In collaboration with Profs. Pamela Abshire and Ricardo Araneda, we are developing a bio-nose-on-a-chip for olfaction based on olfactory sensory neurons cultured on the surface of a custom integrated circuit (IC).
Bio
Prof. Smela is in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and the Institute for Systems Research at the University of Maryland, with affiliate appointments in Materials Science and Engineering and Electrical and Computer Engineering. She received a BS in physics from MIT and a PhD in electrical engineering from the University of Pennsylvania. Following her PhD she was a postdoc and then a researcher in Linkoping, Sweden, where she began developing conjugated polymer microactuators, LEDs, and sensors, and examining the volume change mechanisms. She continued this work as a senior researcher in Riso, Denmark, before moving to studies of actuation in spun polyaniline fibers as Vice President of Research and Development at Santa Fe Science and Technology. Her research at UMD has focused on polymer and biological microsystems, included basic understanding of conjugated polymer actuators, microfabricated dielectric elastomer actuators, and nastic actuators. Her group is also working on tactile skins for co-robotics, a bio-nose on a chip based on olfactory sensory neurons, and mapping the positions of nucleic acids in tissue sections.
In collaboration with Profs. Pamela Abshire and Ricardo Araneda, we are developing a bio-nose-on-a-chip for olfaction based on olfactory sensory neurons cultured on the surface of a custom integrated circuit (IC).
Bio
Prof. Smela is in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and the Institute for Systems Research at the University of Maryland, with affiliate appointments in Materials Science and Engineering and Electrical and Computer Engineering. She received a BS in physics from MIT and a PhD in electrical engineering from the University of Pennsylvania. Following her PhD she was a postdoc and then a researcher in Linkoping, Sweden, where she began developing conjugated polymer microactuators, LEDs, and sensors, and examining the volume change mechanisms. She continued this work as a senior researcher in Riso, Denmark, before moving to studies of actuation in spun polyaniline fibers as Vice President of Research and Development at Santa Fe Science and Technology. Her research at UMD has focused on polymer and biological microsystems, included basic understanding of conjugated polymer actuators, microfabricated dielectric elastomer actuators, and nastic actuators. Her group is also working on tactile skins for co-robotics, a bio-nose on a chip based on olfactory sensory neurons, and mapping the positions of nucleic acids in tissue sections.
Oct 1
Engineering Structured Functional Materials with Applications from Micromotors to Cancer Theranostics
Zhihong Nie
University of Maryland
info
[Abstract & Bio]
Abstract
Strain engineering can be combined with lithography to transform planar thin films patterns into three dimensional structures. In this talk, I will discuss strategies to pattern metals, 2D layered materials such as graphene, polymer and hydrogel films so that they assemble either spontaneously or in response to a stimulus into static or reconfigurable materials and devices via capillary forces, thin film stress and swelling. It is important to note that in our work, we do not utilize any kind of electrical wiring or active control over the folding or bending pathways; rather the structures self-assemble into their energetic minima when the forces within the material balance each other.
There are several advantages of this approach including, (a) parallel scalable assembly both on-chip and off-chip, (b) precise patterning of nanometer sized features in all three dimensions, (c) facile layering of films in a rolled or folded architecture and (d) actuation without the need for external or on-board power sources. I will highlight applications of these approaches in the construction of metamaterials, bio-origami hydrogels, lab-on-a-chip devices, stimuli responsive drug delivery systems and tiny surgical tools. I will also discuss our studies on the first ever in-vivo biopsies using dust sized forceps.
Bio
Prof. Gracias studied at the Indian Institute of Technology (undergraduate), UC Berkeley (PhD, 1999) and Harvard University (post-doc) and worked in R&D at Intel Corporation prior to starting his independent laboratory at the Johns Hopkins University in 2003. He has published over 100 journal publications in prestigious journals such as Science, PNAS, Nature Communications and Nano Letters and has 26 issued US patents. Significant awards include the NIH Director’s New Innovator Award, the DuPont Young Professor Award, Beckman Young Investigator Award, Camille-Dreyfus Teacher Scholar Award, Maryland Outstanding Young Engineer Award and the NSF Career Award. He is a Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE).
Strain engineering can be combined with lithography to transform planar thin films patterns into three dimensional structures. In this talk, I will discuss strategies to pattern metals, 2D layered materials such as graphene, polymer and hydrogel films so that they assemble either spontaneously or in response to a stimulus into static or reconfigurable materials and devices via capillary forces, thin film stress and swelling. It is important to note that in our work, we do not utilize any kind of electrical wiring or active control over the folding or bending pathways; rather the structures self-assemble into their energetic minima when the forces within the material balance each other.
There are several advantages of this approach including, (a) parallel scalable assembly both on-chip and off-chip, (b) precise patterning of nanometer sized features in all three dimensions, (c) facile layering of films in a rolled or folded architecture and (d) actuation without the need for external or on-board power sources. I will highlight applications of these approaches in the construction of metamaterials, bio-origami hydrogels, lab-on-a-chip devices, stimuli responsive drug delivery systems and tiny surgical tools. I will also discuss our studies on the first ever in-vivo biopsies using dust sized forceps.
Bio
Prof. Gracias studied at the Indian Institute of Technology (undergraduate), UC Berkeley (PhD, 1999) and Harvard University (post-doc) and worked in R&D at Intel Corporation prior to starting his independent laboratory at the Johns Hopkins University in 2003. He has published over 100 journal publications in prestigious journals such as Science, PNAS, Nature Communications and Nano Letters and has 26 issued US patents. Significant awards include the NIH Director’s New Innovator Award, the DuPont Young Professor Award, Beckman Young Investigator Award, Camille-Dreyfus Teacher Scholar Award, Maryland Outstanding Young Engineer Award and the NSF Career Award. He is a Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE).
Sept 17
Engineering Structured Functional Materials with Applications from Micromotors to Cancer Theranostics
Slava Krylov
Tel Aviv University
info
video
[Abstract & Bio]
Abstract
Resonant micro- and nanoelectromechanical (MEMS/NEMS) devices are core components in biological and chemical sensors, scientific instruments for material characterization and navigation measurement units for consumer, automotive, aerospace and defense applications. Operational principle of these structures is often based on monitoring of their resonant frequencies, which are influenced by the parameters of interest. Among various types of devices, parametrically excited structures are attractive for implementation in sensors due to their ability to generate large resonant responses as well as sharp transition between low-amplitude to large-amplitudes vibrations accompanying changes in system parameters.
In this talk, several approaches to achieve parametric excitation in micro oscillators will be first briefly reviewed. An excitation by direct stiffness modulation, inertia modulation as well as electrostatic operation by fringing fields will be discussed. Next, results of theoretical and experimental investigation of the collective dynamic behavior of large arrays of micro oscillators will be presented. The device is consisting of two sets of partially interdigitated cantilevers. The adjacent beams are coupled mechanically due to clamping compliances, and electrostatically through voltage-dependent fringing fields. In the framework of the reduced order model built using Galerkin decomposition the array is considered as an assembly of single degree of freedom oscillators. Both local and non-local mechanical interactions are accounted for. The non-local interaction matrix is build using the finite elements analysis of the array. The electrostatic forces are approximated by means of fitting the results of three-dimensional numerical solution for the electric fields. The out-of-plane resonant responses of the devices fabricated from the silicon on insulator substrates are visualized by time-averaged temporally aliased video imaging and measured by the laser Doppler vibrometry.
We show that large amplitude collective vibrations of the array can be achieved using parametric excitation while the dynamic properties of the array such as the width of the propagation band as well as the modal patterns can be efficiently tuned by the applied voltage. Our experimental and model results collectively demonstrate that under a slowly varying drive frequency the standing wave patterns remain synchronized within certain frequencies intervals, followed by an abrupt change in the pattern. The ability to control the spectral characteristics using voltage can be useful for individual addressing of different locations of the sensing arrays, in band-pass filters with tunable passband and in diffractive optical devices.
Bio
Slava Krylov holds M.Sc. and Ph. D. in applied mechanics, both from the State Marine Technical University of St. Petersburg, Russia. After his graduation he was Colton postdoctoral fellow at the Department of Solid Mechanics, Materials and Systems, Tel Aviv University and CNRS visiting post-doctoral fellow at Laboratoire de Modélisation en Mécanique, Université Pierre et Marie Curie (Paris VI), Paris, France. He spent five years in industry working as a R&D engineer for the Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) and later as a principal scientist and co-founder of a start-up company developing optical MEMS. Currently he is Professor at the School of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Tel Aviv University. He was visiting professor of the School of Applied and Engineering Physics and Mary Shepard B. Upson Visiting Professor at The Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY. He’s also a visiting research fellow at the Center for the Nanoscale Science and Technology (CNST) at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Gaithersburg, MD. He serves as a consultant and member of an advisory board of several MEMS companies in Israel. His research is focused in the area of modeling, design and characterization of micro- and nano-electromechanical systems (MEMS/NEMS), micro and nano actuators, inertial sensors, dynamics and stability of MEMS/NEMS, nano resonators and polymeric MEMS.
Resonant micro- and nanoelectromechanical (MEMS/NEMS) devices are core components in biological and chemical sensors, scientific instruments for material characterization and navigation measurement units for consumer, automotive, aerospace and defense applications. Operational principle of these structures is often based on monitoring of their resonant frequencies, which are influenced by the parameters of interest. Among various types of devices, parametrically excited structures are attractive for implementation in sensors due to their ability to generate large resonant responses as well as sharp transition between low-amplitude to large-amplitudes vibrations accompanying changes in system parameters.
In this talk, several approaches to achieve parametric excitation in micro oscillators will be first briefly reviewed. An excitation by direct stiffness modulation, inertia modulation as well as electrostatic operation by fringing fields will be discussed. Next, results of theoretical and experimental investigation of the collective dynamic behavior of large arrays of micro oscillators will be presented. The device is consisting of two sets of partially interdigitated cantilevers. The adjacent beams are coupled mechanically due to clamping compliances, and electrostatically through voltage-dependent fringing fields. In the framework of the reduced order model built using Galerkin decomposition the array is considered as an assembly of single degree of freedom oscillators. Both local and non-local mechanical interactions are accounted for. The non-local interaction matrix is build using the finite elements analysis of the array. The electrostatic forces are approximated by means of fitting the results of three-dimensional numerical solution for the electric fields. The out-of-plane resonant responses of the devices fabricated from the silicon on insulator substrates are visualized by time-averaged temporally aliased video imaging and measured by the laser Doppler vibrometry.
We show that large amplitude collective vibrations of the array can be achieved using parametric excitation while the dynamic properties of the array such as the width of the propagation band as well as the modal patterns can be efficiently tuned by the applied voltage. Our experimental and model results collectively demonstrate that under a slowly varying drive frequency the standing wave patterns remain synchronized within certain frequencies intervals, followed by an abrupt change in the pattern. The ability to control the spectral characteristics using voltage can be useful for individual addressing of different locations of the sensing arrays, in band-pass filters with tunable passband and in diffractive optical devices.
Bio
Slava Krylov holds M.Sc. and Ph. D. in applied mechanics, both from the State Marine Technical University of St. Petersburg, Russia. After his graduation he was Colton postdoctoral fellow at the Department of Solid Mechanics, Materials and Systems, Tel Aviv University and CNRS visiting post-doctoral fellow at Laboratoire de Modélisation en Mécanique, Université Pierre et Marie Curie (Paris VI), Paris, France. He spent five years in industry working as a R&D engineer for the Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) and later as a principal scientist and co-founder of a start-up company developing optical MEMS. Currently he is Professor at the School of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Tel Aviv University. He was visiting professor of the School of Applied and Engineering Physics and Mary Shepard B. Upson Visiting Professor at The Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY. He’s also a visiting research fellow at the Center for the Nanoscale Science and Technology (CNST) at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Gaithersburg, MD. He serves as a consultant and member of an advisory board of several MEMS companies in Israel. His research is focused in the area of modeling, design and characterization of micro- and nano-electromechanical systems (MEMS/NEMS), micro and nano actuators, inertial sensors, dynamics and stability of MEMS/NEMS, nano resonators and polymeric MEMS.
Spring 2015
May 5
Biomedical Micro and Nanofluidics
Shuichi Takayama
University of Michigan
info [Abstract & Bio]
Abstract
This presentation will give an overview of efforts in our laboratory to develop microfluidic systems to control cell microenvironments and to perform high precision biochemical measurements. Microfluidic technologies to be discussed include computer-controlled microfluidics, self-switching microfluidic transistor circuitry, “reagent” microfluidics that utilize aqueous two-phase systems to enable microscale stable spatial fluidic patterning without any channels, and fracture fabrication of tunable nanochannels. Specific biomedical applications that will be discussed include microfluidic assisted reproductive technologies and in vitro fertilization including mechanics of oocyte cryopreservation, organs-on-a-chip, soft-robotics, chromatin analysis in fracture-fabricated nanochannels, and protein biomarker analysis.
Bio
Prof. Shuichi Takayama’s research interests (B.S. & M.S. from the University of Tokyo, Ph.D. from the Scripps Research Institute) started with organic synthesis. Subsequently he pursued postdoctoral studies in bioengineered microsystems at Harvard University as a Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Fellow. He is currently Professor at the University of Michigan in the Biomedical Engineering Department and Macromolecular Science and Engineering Program, and an Adjunct Professor at School of Nano-Bioscience and Chemical Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST). He is an associate editor of Integrative Biology. Research topics include microfluidic models of the body such as the oviduct, lung, and cancer metastasis. He also develops aqueous two phase system micropatterning technologies, studies timing and rhythms of cell signaling, constructs self-switching fluidic circuits, and performs nanofluidic single strand chromatin analysis. Awards and honors include the NSF CAREER award, Pioneers of Miniaturization Prize from the Royal Society of Chemistry, and AIMBE Fellow.
This presentation will give an overview of efforts in our laboratory to develop microfluidic systems to control cell microenvironments and to perform high precision biochemical measurements. Microfluidic technologies to be discussed include computer-controlled microfluidics, self-switching microfluidic transistor circuitry, “reagent” microfluidics that utilize aqueous two-phase systems to enable microscale stable spatial fluidic patterning without any channels, and fracture fabrication of tunable nanochannels. Specific biomedical applications that will be discussed include microfluidic assisted reproductive technologies and in vitro fertilization including mechanics of oocyte cryopreservation, organs-on-a-chip, soft-robotics, chromatin analysis in fracture-fabricated nanochannels, and protein biomarker analysis.
Bio
Prof. Shuichi Takayama’s research interests (B.S. & M.S. from the University of Tokyo, Ph.D. from the Scripps Research Institute) started with organic synthesis. Subsequently he pursued postdoctoral studies in bioengineered microsystems at Harvard University as a Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Fellow. He is currently Professor at the University of Michigan in the Biomedical Engineering Department and Macromolecular Science and Engineering Program, and an Adjunct Professor at School of Nano-Bioscience and Chemical Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST). He is an associate editor of Integrative Biology. Research topics include microfluidic models of the body such as the oviduct, lung, and cancer metastasis. He also develops aqueous two phase system micropatterning technologies, studies timing and rhythms of cell signaling, constructs self-switching fluidic circuits, and performs nanofluidic single strand chromatin analysis. Awards and honors include the NSF CAREER award, Pioneers of Miniaturization Prize from the Royal Society of Chemistry, and AIMBE Fellow.
April 23
Integrated Analytical Microsystems for Space Research
Antonio Ricco
NASA Ames Research Center, Small Payloads and Instrumentation
info [Abstract]
Abstract
We develop miniaturized integrated bio/analytical instruments and platforms to conduct economical, frequent, autonomous life science experiments in outer space. The technologies represented by several of our recent 5-kg “free-flyer” small-satellite missions are the basis of a rapidly growing suite of miniaturized biologically- and chemically-oriented instrumentation now enabling a new generation of in-situ space science experiments. Over the past 7 years, our missions have included studies of space-environment-related changes in gene expression, drug dose response, microbial longevity and metabolism, and the degradation of biomarker molecules. The science and technology of one of these missions, the O/OREOS (Organism/Organic Response to Orbital Stress) Nanosatellite, will be described in the context of conducting biological and chemical experiments in outer space using miniaturized integrated systems.
We develop miniaturized integrated bio/analytical instruments and platforms to conduct economical, frequent, autonomous life science experiments in outer space. The technologies represented by several of our recent 5-kg “free-flyer” small-satellite missions are the basis of a rapidly growing suite of miniaturized biologically- and chemically-oriented instrumentation now enabling a new generation of in-situ space science experiments. Over the past 7 years, our missions have included studies of space-environment-related changes in gene expression, drug dose response, microbial longevity and metabolism, and the degradation of biomarker molecules. The science and technology of one of these missions, the O/OREOS (Organism/Organic Response to Orbital Stress) Nanosatellite, will be described in the context of conducting biological and chemical experiments in outer space using miniaturized integrated systems.
March 25
All-in-One Droplet Microfluidic Systems for Bioassays
Tza-Huei Jeff Wang
Johns Hopkins University, Departments of Mechanical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering and Oncology
info
video
[Abstract]
Abstract
One major challenge in implementing complex bioanalytical assays such as genetic detection in a high-throughput manner is to develop a fluid control system that is simple yet fully functional. Manipulation of droplets on a microchip promises easier, more flexible, and more functionally integrated liquid control, than does continuous flow microfluidics. The talk focuses on the development of a droplet microfluidic platform for the detection of biomarkers for human diseases such as cancer and infectious using crude biosamples, as well as for agriculture for high-throughput marker assisted selection (MAS). The framework for the droplet microfluidics in our biomarker analyses is based on two main themes. The emulsion-based picolitre droplet platform provides new ways to measure and digitally analyze biomolecules with high sensitivity and quantification accuracy. This platform also facilitates combinatorial, high-throughput screening of biomarkers. Meanwhile, the surface-based microliter droplet platform provides an opportunity to develop miniaturized diagnostic systems fully integrated with sample preparation and. Such platform may function as portable bench-top environments that dramatically shorten the transition of a bench-top assay into a point-of-care format.
One major challenge in implementing complex bioanalytical assays such as genetic detection in a high-throughput manner is to develop a fluid control system that is simple yet fully functional. Manipulation of droplets on a microchip promises easier, more flexible, and more functionally integrated liquid control, than does continuous flow microfluidics. The talk focuses on the development of a droplet microfluidic platform for the detection of biomarkers for human diseases such as cancer and infectious using crude biosamples, as well as for agriculture for high-throughput marker assisted selection (MAS). The framework for the droplet microfluidics in our biomarker analyses is based on two main themes. The emulsion-based picolitre droplet platform provides new ways to measure and digitally analyze biomolecules with high sensitivity and quantification accuracy. This platform also facilitates combinatorial, high-throughput screening of biomarkers. Meanwhile, the surface-based microliter droplet platform provides an opportunity to develop miniaturized diagnostic systems fully integrated with sample preparation and. Such platform may function as portable bench-top environments that dramatically shorten the transition of a bench-top assay into a point-of-care format.
Feb 20
Micro/Nano/Biosystems: The New 'Fantastic Voyage'
Reza Ghodssi
University of Maryland, Electrical and Computer Engineering and Institute for Systems Research
info
2014
Fall 2014
Dec 11
BioMEMS for Cardiovascular Cells
Nate Sniadecki
University of Washington
info video
[Abstract & Bio]
Abstract
Cells produce nanoscale forces that add up to make a big impact in our cardiovascular system. It has been difficult to study these forces because previous approaches were not suitable for single-cell studies. In this talk, I will cover our findings on the importance of cellular forces using flexible microposts, nanoposts, and microfluidics. Microposts and nanoposts are soft cantilevers made from polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) that bend in proportion to the forces applied by a cell. We use these systems to study the gripping forces of platelets that are needed for hemostasis, tugging forces between endothelial cells that regulate vascular permeability, and twitch forces of cardiomyocytes that drive blood circulation. This talk will highlight the importance of cellular mechanics to medicine, how cells use mechanics to their advantage, and how engineered systems can be used to better understand and manipulate these processes.
Bio
Nathan is the first Maryland PhD graduate (from Don DeVoe's group) to be featured in our microsystems seminar series.
Nathan Sniadecki received his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Notre Dame and his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Maryland with Prof. Don DeVoe. He was a NIH NRSA post-doctoral fellow in Biomedical Engineering at Johns Hopkins University and a Hartwell Fellow at the University of Pennsylvania in Bioengineering with Prof. Chris Chen. He joined the Mechanical Engineering Department at the University of Washington in 2007. Prof. Sniadecki is a recipient of the NSF CAREER award in 2009, a DARPA Young Faculty Award in 2011, and Albert Kobayashi Professorship in 2012. His work is on cell mechanics, mechanotransduction, and BioMEMS devices.
Cells produce nanoscale forces that add up to make a big impact in our cardiovascular system. It has been difficult to study these forces because previous approaches were not suitable for single-cell studies. In this talk, I will cover our findings on the importance of cellular forces using flexible microposts, nanoposts, and microfluidics. Microposts and nanoposts are soft cantilevers made from polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) that bend in proportion to the forces applied by a cell. We use these systems to study the gripping forces of platelets that are needed for hemostasis, tugging forces between endothelial cells that regulate vascular permeability, and twitch forces of cardiomyocytes that drive blood circulation. This talk will highlight the importance of cellular mechanics to medicine, how cells use mechanics to their advantage, and how engineered systems can be used to better understand and manipulate these processes.
Bio
Nathan is the first Maryland PhD graduate (from Don DeVoe's group) to be featured in our microsystems seminar series.
Nathan Sniadecki received his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Notre Dame and his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Maryland with Prof. Don DeVoe. He was a NIH NRSA post-doctoral fellow in Biomedical Engineering at Johns Hopkins University and a Hartwell Fellow at the University of Pennsylvania in Bioengineering with Prof. Chris Chen. He joined the Mechanical Engineering Department at the University of Washington in 2007. Prof. Sniadecki is a recipient of the NSF CAREER award in 2009, a DARPA Young Faculty Award in 2011, and Albert Kobayashi Professorship in 2012. His work is on cell mechanics, mechanotransduction, and BioMEMS devices.
Nov 13
Laser-assisted fabrication techniques for low-cost flexible sensors, actuators, and microsystems
Babak Ziaie
Purdue University
info video
[Abstract & Bio]
Abstract
In my lab, we are exploring various rapid-prototyping methods to fabricate flexible sensors and actuators on low-cost disposable substrates. Among the more promising approaches is the use of CO2 laser for surface treatment and micromachining of cellulose-based and polymeric materials. Using this method, one can perform both surface-energy modifications and micromachining on the same substrate and in the same setup. In this talk, I will focus on laser-treated hydrophobic paper as a low cost substrate for flexible electronics. In particular, I will elaborate on some of our recent work towards the development of flexible smart dressings (incorporating chemical sensors, electrochemical power sources, and drug delivery modules) for chronic wound management.
Bio
Babak Ziaie received the Ph.D. degree in electrical engineering from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA, in 1994. From 1995 to 1999, he was a Postdoctoral Fellow and an Assistant Research Scientist at the Center for Integrated Microsystems (CIMS), University of Michigan. He subsequently joined the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, University of Minnesota as an Assistant Professor (1999–2004). Since January 2005, he has been with the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA, where he is currently a Professor. His research interests include clinical applications of MEMS and microsystems, mobile health (mHealth), and biomimetic sensors and actuators.
In my lab, we are exploring various rapid-prototyping methods to fabricate flexible sensors and actuators on low-cost disposable substrates. Among the more promising approaches is the use of CO2 laser for surface treatment and micromachining of cellulose-based and polymeric materials. Using this method, one can perform both surface-energy modifications and micromachining on the same substrate and in the same setup. In this talk, I will focus on laser-treated hydrophobic paper as a low cost substrate for flexible electronics. In particular, I will elaborate on some of our recent work towards the development of flexible smart dressings (incorporating chemical sensors, electrochemical power sources, and drug delivery modules) for chronic wound management.
Bio
Babak Ziaie received the Ph.D. degree in electrical engineering from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA, in 1994. From 1995 to 1999, he was a Postdoctoral Fellow and an Assistant Research Scientist at the Center for Integrated Microsystems (CIMS), University of Michigan. He subsequently joined the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, University of Minnesota as an Assistant Professor (1999–2004). Since January 2005, he has been with the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA, where he is currently a Professor. His research interests include clinical applications of MEMS and microsystems, mobile health (mHealth), and biomimetic sensors and actuators.
Oct 23
Precision Measurement and Engineering of Reconstituted Membrane Proteins
John Marino
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
info video
[Abstract]
Abstract
Measurement of the structure and dynamics of membrane proteins (MPs) in the context of biologically relevant membranes remains one of the greatest challenges in modern structural biology. MPs tightly control material transport into and out of cells, as well as initiate cellular signaling cascades in response to neurotransmitters, hormones, and other environmental factors. As the material and informational gateway to the cell, MPs are the target for ~50% of current FDA-approved drugs, emphasizing their critical importance to the pharmaceutical industry. In this presentation, I will describe efforts within our group to develop and validate robust approaches for functional MP reconstitution in native-like model membrane bilayers and for the advancement of new measurements to assess both structure and function of MPs in these platforms. Potential opportunities for translating functionally reconstituted model membranes into screening and diagnostic platforms will also be discussed.
Measurement of the structure and dynamics of membrane proteins (MPs) in the context of biologically relevant membranes remains one of the greatest challenges in modern structural biology. MPs tightly control material transport into and out of cells, as well as initiate cellular signaling cascades in response to neurotransmitters, hormones, and other environmental factors. As the material and informational gateway to the cell, MPs are the target for ~50% of current FDA-approved drugs, emphasizing their critical importance to the pharmaceutical industry. In this presentation, I will describe efforts within our group to develop and validate robust approaches for functional MP reconstitution in native-like model membrane bilayers and for the advancement of new measurements to assess both structure and function of MPs in these platforms. Potential opportunities for translating functionally reconstituted model membranes into screening and diagnostic platforms will also be discussed.
Oct 9
Army Research Laboratory Bioscience and Bioengineering Research Initiatives
Vicki Bevilacqua
Army Research Laboratory
info
[Abstract & Bio]
Abstract
The Army Research Laboratory (ARL) is executing a robust Biosciences Research program and is examining potential new opportunities to collaborate. In particular, ARL is exploring ways to tap into broad areas of bioengineering and bio/non-bio integration at the nano and micro levels. The presentation will provide an overview of the ARL Biosciences program, examples of current research, potential areas of collaboration, the ARL Open Campus initiative, and mechanisms for facilitating collaborative research involving academic faculty and students.
Bio
Dr. Bevilacqua is Associate for Biosciences and Biotechnology for the Sensors and Electron Devices Directorate at the Army Research Laboratory (ARL) in Adelphi, MD, and is leading the development of the ARL Biosciences Technical Strategic Plan. She is a Biophysical Chemist with 22 years experience and first joined the ARL in 2013 as the BioTechnology Branch Chief. She came to the ARL from the Edgewood Chemical Biological Center (ECBC) in Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD, where she served as Acting Branch Chief for Chemical Biological Point Detection (2012), as Executive Officer to the Engineering Director (2011), and as a Principal Investigator for toxin and metabolomics research (2002-2013). Prior to joining ECBC, she obtained tenure as a faculty member at Kennesaw State University (Kennesaw, GA), where she received the College of Science and Mathematics Distinguished Teaching Award (2001-2002 academic year). She earned her Doctorate of Philosophy in Chemistry at Yale University and completed her post doctoral fellowship at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
The Army Research Laboratory (ARL) is executing a robust Biosciences Research program and is examining potential new opportunities to collaborate. In particular, ARL is exploring ways to tap into broad areas of bioengineering and bio/non-bio integration at the nano and micro levels. The presentation will provide an overview of the ARL Biosciences program, examples of current research, potential areas of collaboration, the ARL Open Campus initiative, and mechanisms for facilitating collaborative research involving academic faculty and students.
Bio
Dr. Bevilacqua is Associate for Biosciences and Biotechnology for the Sensors and Electron Devices Directorate at the Army Research Laboratory (ARL) in Adelphi, MD, and is leading the development of the ARL Biosciences Technical Strategic Plan. She is a Biophysical Chemist with 22 years experience and first joined the ARL in 2013 as the BioTechnology Branch Chief. She came to the ARL from the Edgewood Chemical Biological Center (ECBC) in Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD, where she served as Acting Branch Chief for Chemical Biological Point Detection (2012), as Executive Officer to the Engineering Director (2011), and as a Principal Investigator for toxin and metabolomics research (2002-2013). Prior to joining ECBC, she obtained tenure as a faculty member at Kennesaw State University (Kennesaw, GA), where she received the College of Science and Mathematics Distinguished Teaching Award (2001-2002 academic year). She earned her Doctorate of Philosophy in Chemistry at Yale University and completed her post doctoral fellowship at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
Oct 2
Spatial and Temporal Control of Biological Systems at the Microscale
Elliot Hui
University of California, Irvine
info
[Abstract & Bio]
Abstract
Microfabrication is an enabling technology with a broad set of applications that continues to grow. Here, I will discuss our efforts to control tissue structure at the microscale for the purpose of investigating the biology of cell-cell interactions. Specifically, I will describe our work towards understanding the communication between tumors and their surrounding stroma, and the role of these interactions in cancer progression. In addition, I will share our progress in creating next-generation chip-based liquid handling platforms. Specifically, we have succeeded in building computers completely out of microfluidic components, which will enable us to build lab-on-a-chip diagnostic systems that run autonomously without off-chip controllers.
Bio
Elliot Hui is Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering at the University of California, Irvine. He received the bachelor’s degree in Physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley. Following his doctoral work in microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) under Roger Howe, he studied liver tissue engineering as an NIH Kirschstein fellow in the laboratory of Sangeeta Bhatia at MIT. In 2008, he joined the faculty at UC Irvine. His research group employs tools such as MEMS, microfluidics, and optogenetics to control biological systems dynamically at the microscale. His interests include tumor progression and stem cell differentiation as well as point-of-care diagnostics. He is a recipient of the 2013 DARPA Young Faculty Award and the 2014 JALA Ten Breakthroughs in Innovation. He is a member of the Center for Advanced Design and Manufacturing of Integrated Microfluidics, the Center for Complex Biological Systems, and the Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Microfabrication is an enabling technology with a broad set of applications that continues to grow. Here, I will discuss our efforts to control tissue structure at the microscale for the purpose of investigating the biology of cell-cell interactions. Specifically, I will describe our work towards understanding the communication between tumors and their surrounding stroma, and the role of these interactions in cancer progression. In addition, I will share our progress in creating next-generation chip-based liquid handling platforms. Specifically, we have succeeded in building computers completely out of microfluidic components, which will enable us to build lab-on-a-chip diagnostic systems that run autonomously without off-chip controllers.
Bio
Elliot Hui is Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering at the University of California, Irvine. He received the bachelor’s degree in Physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley. Following his doctoral work in microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) under Roger Howe, he studied liver tissue engineering as an NIH Kirschstein fellow in the laboratory of Sangeeta Bhatia at MIT. In 2008, he joined the faculty at UC Irvine. His research group employs tools such as MEMS, microfluidics, and optogenetics to control biological systems dynamically at the microscale. His interests include tumor progression and stem cell differentiation as well as point-of-care diagnostics. He is a recipient of the 2013 DARPA Young Faculty Award and the 2014 JALA Ten Breakthroughs in Innovation. He is a member of the Center for Advanced Design and Manufacturing of Integrated Microfluidics, the Center for Complex Biological Systems, and the Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Spring 2014
May 8
Biological Information Processing and Biomedical Intervention through Microfluidic Technologies
Abraham Lee
University of California, Irvine
info video
[Abstract & Bio]
Abstract
The basic life components (genes, protein, cells) function at critical length scales and the aggregate of these multi-scale reactions enable precise and complex living operations such as the immune response, regulation and adaptation, repair and maintenance, and hierarchical self-assembly. The rapid advancement of microfluidic technology is beginning to enable large-scale and high throughput processing of molecular and cellular operations. An ultimate vision would be to analyze, manipulate, and recapitulate complex physiological processes in chip-scale, microfluidic platforms. These platforms would enable rapid and accurate diagnosis of onset of diseases, monitoring of chronic and high-risk patients, and even relatively healthy people the option to make healthy daily choices (e.g. exercise, stress, etc.). The vast amount of information acquired would match treatments with genomic makeup, and enable personalized medicine, point-of-care diagnostics, and targeted theranostics in wearable, distributable, and field portable platforms. One particular platform, droplet microfluidics can break up the fluid sample into millions of picoliter-sized drops at 1000s/second rates. As a result, a complex fluid can be “digitized” into large numbers of discretized volumes, while enabling accurate mixtures, rapid mixing, and confined constituents for high sensitivity and high SNR detection. Another focus of my lab is in development of microfluidic platforms for sorting and processing of cells and cell-like lipid vesicles. This is motivated by the fact that cells host the most basic molecular functions of life and also form the basic unit of living creatures, the ability to detect, manipulate and sort at the cellular-scale is critical to all aspects of life science and medicine. Cell-like lipid vesicles can mimic specific functions of the biological counterpart in vivo and provide an effective platform for integrating detection and targeted treatment. A more complex microfluidic platform being developed in my lab is a microphyisological system with perfused 3-D vascularized tissue. The immediate application of this platform would be in drug development and drug screening with long-term prospects for larger tissues for regenerative medicine.
Biography
Abraham (Abe) P. Lee is the William J. Link Chair and Professor of the Department of Biomedical Engineering (BME) with a joint appointment in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE) at the University of California at Irvine in the USA. He also serves as the director of the Micro/nano Fluidics Fundamentals Focus (MF3) Center, a DARPA-industry supported research center currently with more than 10 industrial members. Prior to joining the UCI faculty in 2002, he was with the Office of Technology and Industrial Relations at the National Cancer Institute as a Senior Technology Advisor, and before that he was a program manager in the Microsystems Technology Office of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) (1999-2001). Dr. Lee’s current research is focused on the development of active integrated microfluidics (electrofluidics and acoustic) and droplet microfluidic platforms for the following applications: biosensors to detect environmental and terrorism threats, point-of-care and molecular diagnostics, “smart” nanomedicine for early detection and treatment, automated cell sorting technologies, and tissue engineering and cell-based therapeutics. His research has contributed to the founding of several start-up companies and he also serves as an advisor to companies and government agencies. Dr. Lee served as an editor for the Journal of Microelectromechanical Systems (2004-2009) and is currently the associate editor of the Lab on a Chip journal. He has given more than 100 invited presentations, owns 38 issued US patents and has published over 80 peer-reviewed journals articles. Professor Lee was awarded the 2009 Pioneers of Miniaturization Prize by Corning and Lab on a Chip and is an elected fellow of the American Institute of and Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). Dr. Lee received his doctoral degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley in 1992 and his bachelor’s degree in Power Mechanical Engineering from National Tsing Hua University in Taiwan in 1986.
The basic life components (genes, protein, cells) function at critical length scales and the aggregate of these multi-scale reactions enable precise and complex living operations such as the immune response, regulation and adaptation, repair and maintenance, and hierarchical self-assembly. The rapid advancement of microfluidic technology is beginning to enable large-scale and high throughput processing of molecular and cellular operations. An ultimate vision would be to analyze, manipulate, and recapitulate complex physiological processes in chip-scale, microfluidic platforms. These platforms would enable rapid and accurate diagnosis of onset of diseases, monitoring of chronic and high-risk patients, and even relatively healthy people the option to make healthy daily choices (e.g. exercise, stress, etc.). The vast amount of information acquired would match treatments with genomic makeup, and enable personalized medicine, point-of-care diagnostics, and targeted theranostics in wearable, distributable, and field portable platforms. One particular platform, droplet microfluidics can break up the fluid sample into millions of picoliter-sized drops at 1000s/second rates. As a result, a complex fluid can be “digitized” into large numbers of discretized volumes, while enabling accurate mixtures, rapid mixing, and confined constituents for high sensitivity and high SNR detection. Another focus of my lab is in development of microfluidic platforms for sorting and processing of cells and cell-like lipid vesicles. This is motivated by the fact that cells host the most basic molecular functions of life and also form the basic unit of living creatures, the ability to detect, manipulate and sort at the cellular-scale is critical to all aspects of life science and medicine. Cell-like lipid vesicles can mimic specific functions of the biological counterpart in vivo and provide an effective platform for integrating detection and targeted treatment. A more complex microfluidic platform being developed in my lab is a microphyisological system with perfused 3-D vascularized tissue. The immediate application of this platform would be in drug development and drug screening with long-term prospects for larger tissues for regenerative medicine.
Biography
Abraham (Abe) P. Lee is the William J. Link Chair and Professor of the Department of Biomedical Engineering (BME) with a joint appointment in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE) at the University of California at Irvine in the USA. He also serves as the director of the Micro/nano Fluidics Fundamentals Focus (MF3) Center, a DARPA-industry supported research center currently with more than 10 industrial members. Prior to joining the UCI faculty in 2002, he was with the Office of Technology and Industrial Relations at the National Cancer Institute as a Senior Technology Advisor, and before that he was a program manager in the Microsystems Technology Office of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) (1999-2001). Dr. Lee’s current research is focused on the development of active integrated microfluidics (electrofluidics and acoustic) and droplet microfluidic platforms for the following applications: biosensors to detect environmental and terrorism threats, point-of-care and molecular diagnostics, “smart” nanomedicine for early detection and treatment, automated cell sorting technologies, and tissue engineering and cell-based therapeutics. His research has contributed to the founding of several start-up companies and he also serves as an advisor to companies and government agencies. Dr. Lee served as an editor for the Journal of Microelectromechanical Systems (2004-2009) and is currently the associate editor of the Lab on a Chip journal. He has given more than 100 invited presentations, owns 38 issued US patents and has published over 80 peer-reviewed journals articles. Professor Lee was awarded the 2009 Pioneers of Miniaturization Prize by Corning and Lab on a Chip and is an elected fellow of the American Institute of and Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). Dr. Lee received his doctoral degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley in 1992 and his bachelor’s degree in Power Mechanical Engineering from National Tsing Hua University in Taiwan in 1986.
April 15
Magnetic Microsystems - What? Where? When? Why? How?
David Arnold
University of Florida
info video
[Abstract & Bio]
Abstract
This talk will highlight my group's development of microfabricated permanent magnets and their application in several functional microsystems. To set the stage, I'll first describe some basic concepts about magnets and physical scaling laws that motivate our efforts. I'll then discuss our advancement of two types of permanent magnet materials--electroplated layers and bonded powders, which overcome certain manufacturing and integration challenges. I'll then showcase how these permanent magnet materials are being used for electromechanical actuators, energy harvesting devices, and generation of high-energy x-rays.
Biography
David P. Arnold is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Florida and a member of the Interdisciplinary Microsystems Group. He received dual B.S. degrees in electrical and computer engineering in 1999, followed by the M.S. degree in electrical engineering in 2001, from the University of Florida. He received the Ph.D. degree in electrical engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 2004. His research focuses on micro/nanostructured magnetic materials, magnetic microsystems, electromechanical transducers, and miniaturized power/energy systems. He is an active participant in the magnetics and MEMS communities, and currently serves on the editorial boards of /J. Micromechanics and Microengineering/ and /Energy Harvesting and Systems/. He has co-authored over 125 refereed journal and conference publications, and holds six U.S. patents. His research innovations have been recognized by the 2008 Presidential Early Career Award in Science and Engineering (PECASE) and the 2009 DARPA Young Faculty Award. He is a Senior Member of IEEE and also a member of Tau Beta Pi, and Eta Kappa Nu. Beyond his passion for research and teaching, he most enjoys spending time with his wife and three children.
This talk will highlight my group's development of microfabricated permanent magnets and their application in several functional microsystems. To set the stage, I'll first describe some basic concepts about magnets and physical scaling laws that motivate our efforts. I'll then discuss our advancement of two types of permanent magnet materials--electroplated layers and bonded powders, which overcome certain manufacturing and integration challenges. I'll then showcase how these permanent magnet materials are being used for electromechanical actuators, energy harvesting devices, and generation of high-energy x-rays.
Biography
David P. Arnold is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Florida and a member of the Interdisciplinary Microsystems Group. He received dual B.S. degrees in electrical and computer engineering in 1999, followed by the M.S. degree in electrical engineering in 2001, from the University of Florida. He received the Ph.D. degree in electrical engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 2004. His research focuses on micro/nanostructured magnetic materials, magnetic microsystems, electromechanical transducers, and miniaturized power/energy systems. He is an active participant in the magnetics and MEMS communities, and currently serves on the editorial boards of /J. Micromechanics and Microengineering/ and /Energy Harvesting and Systems/. He has co-authored over 125 refereed journal and conference publications, and holds six U.S. patents. His research innovations have been recognized by the 2008 Presidential Early Career Award in Science and Engineering (PECASE) and the 2009 DARPA Young Faculty Award. He is a Senior Member of IEEE and also a member of Tau Beta Pi, and Eta Kappa Nu. Beyond his passion for research and teaching, he most enjoys spending time with his wife and three children.
March 5
Make Me Look! To SEE and Understand Your Research
Felice Frankel
Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Harvard University
info
[Abstract & Bio]
Abstract
Graphics, images and figures — visual representations of scientific data and concepts — are critical components of science and engineering research. They communicate in ways that words cannot. They can clarify or strengthen an argument and spur interest into the research process.
But it is important to remember that a visual representation of a scientific concept or data is a re-presentation and not the thing itself –– some interpretation or translation is always involved. Just as writing a journal article, you must carefully plan what to “say,” and in what order you will “say it.” The process of making a visual representation requires you to clarify your thinking and improve your ability to communicate with others. Communication, however, is a two-way enterprise. The viewer must first choose to look. This talk will include examples of my own attempts at creating various representations, some more successful than others. I will discuss the iterative process of getting from "here" to "there," in order to create representations that are more than good enough.
Biography
Science photographer Felice Frankel (link is external) is a research scientist in the Center for Materials Science and Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Working in collaboration with scientists and engineers, Felice’s images have been published in over 200 journal articles and/or covers and various other publications for general audiences such as National Geographic, Nature, Science, Angewandte Chemie, Advanced Materials, Materials Today, PNAS, Newsweek, Scientific American, Discover Magazine, and New Scientist among others.
She is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and has received awards and grants from the National Science Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the Guggenheim Foundation, the Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation, the Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts, among others. Felice was a Loeb Fellow at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design and was awarded the Distinguished Alumna Award at Brooklyn College, CUNY and the Lennart Nilsson Award for Scientific Photography.
Felice was founder of the Image and Meaning (link is external) workshops and conferences whose purpose was to develop new approaches to promote the public understanding of science through visual expression. She was principal investigator of the National Science Foundation-funded program, Picturing to Learn, an effort to study how making representations by students, aids in teaching and learning, (Picturing to Learn (link is external)).
She and her work have been profiled in the New York Times, Wired, LIFE Magazine, the Boston Globe, the Washington Post, the Chronicle of Higher Education, National Public Radio’s All Things Considered, Science Friday, the Christian Science Monitor and various European publications. She exhibits throughout the United States and in Europe. Her limited edition photographs are included in a number of corporate and private collections.
Graphics, images and figures — visual representations of scientific data and concepts — are critical components of science and engineering research. They communicate in ways that words cannot. They can clarify or strengthen an argument and spur interest into the research process.
But it is important to remember that a visual representation of a scientific concept or data is a re-presentation and not the thing itself –– some interpretation or translation is always involved. Just as writing a journal article, you must carefully plan what to “say,” and in what order you will “say it.” The process of making a visual representation requires you to clarify your thinking and improve your ability to communicate with others. Communication, however, is a two-way enterprise. The viewer must first choose to look. This talk will include examples of my own attempts at creating various representations, some more successful than others. I will discuss the iterative process of getting from "here" to "there," in order to create representations that are more than good enough.
Biography
Science photographer Felice Frankel (link is external) is a research scientist in the Center for Materials Science and Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Working in collaboration with scientists and engineers, Felice’s images have been published in over 200 journal articles and/or covers and various other publications for general audiences such as National Geographic, Nature, Science, Angewandte Chemie, Advanced Materials, Materials Today, PNAS, Newsweek, Scientific American, Discover Magazine, and New Scientist among others.
She is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and has received awards and grants from the National Science Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the Guggenheim Foundation, the Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation, the Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts, among others. Felice was a Loeb Fellow at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design and was awarded the Distinguished Alumna Award at Brooklyn College, CUNY and the Lennart Nilsson Award for Scientific Photography.
Felice was founder of the Image and Meaning (link is external) workshops and conferences whose purpose was to develop new approaches to promote the public understanding of science through visual expression. She was principal investigator of the National Science Foundation-funded program, Picturing to Learn, an effort to study how making representations by students, aids in teaching and learning, (Picturing to Learn (link is external)).
She and her work have been profiled in the New York Times, Wired, LIFE Magazine, the Boston Globe, the Washington Post, the Chronicle of Higher Education, National Public Radio’s All Things Considered, Science Friday, the Christian Science Monitor and various European publications. She exhibits throughout the United States and in Europe. Her limited edition photographs are included in a number of corporate and private collections.
Feb. 26
Nanoengineered Devices for Energy Transport and Conversion
Evelyn Wang
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
info video
[Abstract & Bio]
Abstract
Nanoengineered surfaces offer new possibilities to manipulate fluidic and thermal transport processes for a variety of applications including lab-on-a-chip, thermal management, and energy conversion systems. In this talk, I will discuss fundamental studies of wetting and droplet behavior on nanoengineered surfaces, and the effect of manipulating these fluid-structure interactions on phase-change processes for enhanced heat transfer. I will show that during condensation, nanoengineered surfaces can harness droplets that jump and gain a net positive charge. Accordingly, electric fields can be used to further enhance condensation heat transfer coefficients by approximately 100% compared to state-of-the-art dropwise condensation. I will also discuss the opportunities with nanoengineered surfaces to increase efficiency in solar thermophotovoltaic devices. The use of such surfaces allows us to engineer the spectral properties and to define the active area of the emitter with respect to the absorber. Accordingly, we report efficiencies 3 times greater than those previously reported. These studies provide important insights into the complex physical processes underlying heat-structure interactions and offer a path to achieving increased efficiency in next generation energy systems.
Biography
Evelyn N. Wang is an Associate Professor in the Mechanical Engineering Department at MIT. She received her BS from MIT in 2000 and MS and PhD from Stanford University in 2001, and 2006, respectively. From 2006-2007, she was a postdoctoral researcher at Bell Laboratories, Alcatel-Lucent. Her research interests include fundamental studies of micro/nanoscale heat and mass transport and the development of efficient thermal management, water desalination, and solar thermal energy systems. Her work has been honored with awards including the 2008 DARPA Young Faculty Award, the 2011 Air Force Office of Scientific Research Young Investigator Award, the 2012 Office of Naval Research Young Investigator Award, the 2012 ASME Bergles-Rohsenow Young Investigator Award in Heat Transfer, as well as best paper awards at 2010 ITherm and 2012 ASME Micro and Nanoscale Heat and Mass Transfer International Conference."
Nanoengineered surfaces offer new possibilities to manipulate fluidic and thermal transport processes for a variety of applications including lab-on-a-chip, thermal management, and energy conversion systems. In this talk, I will discuss fundamental studies of wetting and droplet behavior on nanoengineered surfaces, and the effect of manipulating these fluid-structure interactions on phase-change processes for enhanced heat transfer. I will show that during condensation, nanoengineered surfaces can harness droplets that jump and gain a net positive charge. Accordingly, electric fields can be used to further enhance condensation heat transfer coefficients by approximately 100% compared to state-of-the-art dropwise condensation. I will also discuss the opportunities with nanoengineered surfaces to increase efficiency in solar thermophotovoltaic devices. The use of such surfaces allows us to engineer the spectral properties and to define the active area of the emitter with respect to the absorber. Accordingly, we report efficiencies 3 times greater than those previously reported. These studies provide important insights into the complex physical processes underlying heat-structure interactions and offer a path to achieving increased efficiency in next generation energy systems.
Biography
Evelyn N. Wang is an Associate Professor in the Mechanical Engineering Department at MIT. She received her BS from MIT in 2000 and MS and PhD from Stanford University in 2001, and 2006, respectively. From 2006-2007, she was a postdoctoral researcher at Bell Laboratories, Alcatel-Lucent. Her research interests include fundamental studies of micro/nanoscale heat and mass transport and the development of efficient thermal management, water desalination, and solar thermal energy systems. Her work has been honored with awards including the 2008 DARPA Young Faculty Award, the 2011 Air Force Office of Scientific Research Young Investigator Award, the 2012 Office of Naval Research Young Investigator Award, the 2012 ASME Bergles-Rohsenow Young Investigator Award in Heat Transfer, as well as best paper awards at 2010 ITherm and 2012 ASME Micro and Nanoscale Heat and Mass Transfer International Conference."
2013
Fall 2013
Dec. 6
Acousto-Opto Fluidics for Lab-on-a-Chip
Tony Jun Huang
Pennsylvania State University
video
Nov. 19
Nonlinear MEMS Resonance
Gary Fedderr
Carnegie Mellon University
Oct. 15
The Lensless Microscope: Computational Microscopy, Sensing and Diagnostics for Telemedicine and Global Health Applications
Aydogan Ozcan
University of California, Los Angeles
Sept. 20
Detection of Volatile Organic Compounds using Piezoresistive Microcantilever Sensors with Metal Organic Frameworks
Peter Hesketh
Georgia Institute of Technology
video
Spring 2013
Sponsored by Qualcomm
May 10
Using MEMS to Build Devices and Packages at the Same Time
Stanford University
April 29
Engineering Quantum Information Processing Systems
Duke University
April 11
Using Nonlinearity to Enhance Micro/NanoSensor Performance
University of California Santa Barbara
March 27
Atomic Layer Deposition for Applications in Nano/MicroElectroMechanical Systems
University of Colorado Boulder
Feb. 19
Quartz MEMS — Only a Matter of Time!
Pennsylvania State University
Dec. 6
Wireless Health
Case Western Reserve University
Nov. 29
Implantable Microsystems for Quantitative Measurement of Biomolecules for the Management of Hemorrhagic Shock
Clemson University
Oct. 11
Electrochemistry and Biochips
Tel-Aviv University
Spring 2012
May 3
Femtosecond Laser-Assisted Biophotonics
University of Texas
April 5
Optofluidics for Bio-Analytics and Energy Applications
Cornell University
March 15
Microfluidics: Cells on Chip for Disease Diagnosis
Harvard University
Feb. 28
The Mechanics of "Small"
University of Illinois
Feb. 23
Innovative Optical Microsystems for Medicine and Other Applications
University of Freiburg
info
[Abstract & Bio]
Abstract
Advances in MEMS have greatly benefitted optical technologies, as microsystems fabrication and assembly techniques have been applied to the realization of new micro-optical concepts. We will present recent work on novel micro-fluidic membrane lenses; deformable polymer lenses; purely fluidic and completely integrated irises; and scanning micro-lens and axicon-based imaging systems assembled on silicon micro-optical benches. A range of applications will be demonstrated using a few examples from biophotonics, including implantable optical medical diagnostics and endoscopic 3D imaging.
Bio
is Professor of Micro-optics and Associate Dean of Engineering in the Department of Microsystems Engineering at the University of Freiburg, Germany. He earned his Bachelor's and Master's degrees from MIT and his PhD from the University of California, Berkeley, all in Electrical Engineering. After pursuing research activities in electronics, integrated optics and semiconductor lasers at IBM, the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Solid State Physics and the Centre Suisse d'Electronique et de Microtechnique, he joined the University of Freiburg in 2000. His current research interests focus on tunable micro-optics, optical micro-systems for medical applications and novel nano-optics.
Advances in MEMS have greatly benefitted optical technologies, as microsystems fabrication and assembly techniques have been applied to the realization of new micro-optical concepts. We will present recent work on novel micro-fluidic membrane lenses; deformable polymer lenses; purely fluidic and completely integrated irises; and scanning micro-lens and axicon-based imaging systems assembled on silicon micro-optical benches. A range of applications will be demonstrated using a few examples from biophotonics, including implantable optical medical diagnostics and endoscopic 3D imaging.
Bio
is Professor of Micro-optics and Associate Dean of Engineering in the Department of Microsystems Engineering at the University of Freiburg, Germany. He earned his Bachelor's and Master's degrees from MIT and his PhD from the University of California, Berkeley, all in Electrical Engineering. After pursuing research activities in electronics, integrated optics and semiconductor lasers at IBM, the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Solid State Physics and the Centre Suisse d'Electronique et de Microtechnique, he joined the University of Freiburg in 2000. His current research interests focus on tunable micro-optics, optical micro-systems for medical applications and novel nano-optics.
Fall 2011
Dec. 8
Machine-Brain Interfaces
DARPA Microsystems Technology Office
Oct. 11
Engineering Adaptive Interfaces to Damaged Nervous Systems
California Institute of Technology
Sept. 20
Vacuum Microsystems for Energy Conversion
Stanford University
Spring 2011
May 10
Next-Generation Proteomics
University of California, Berkeley
April 20
Optical Biosensors and Systems Integration
Naval Research Laboratory
March 3
Wireless Medical Microsystems
Georgia Institute of Technology
Feb. 16
Carbon Nanotubes
University of Michigan
Fall 2010
Dec. 8
MEMS for Mechanobiology
Nov. 11
Energy Harvesting Research at Imperial College London: A Holistic View
Imperial College London
Oct. 21
Wireless Telemetry of Neutral Signals from Freely Moving Dragonflies
Intan Technologies, LLC
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
This page was last modified on June 5, 2017