EPFL BioE Talks SERIES "Droplet and Digital Based Microfluidics for Applications in Synthetic Biology"
Event details
| Date | 18.03.2024 |
| Hour | 12:15 › 13:15 |
| Speaker | Prof. Steve Shih, Departments of Electrical and Computer Engineering and of Biology, Concordia University, Montreal (CAN) |
| Location | Online |
| Category | Conferences - Seminars |
| Event Language | English |
WEEKLY EPFL BIOE TALKS SERIES (sandwiches provided)
Abstract:
Synthetic biology describes the process of engineering a cell for new or improved functionality. The biggest challenge with synthetic biology is the standardization and reproducibility – where much of the work in synthetic biology research is not automated. Droplet and digital microfluidics has emerged to provide solutions to expedite the ‘design-build-test’ synthetic biology workflow – leading to automating multiple aspects of the cycle. In my talk, I will discuss the use of droplet-based microfluidic platforms for three main applications related to (1) designing new constructs to assembling DNA and bringing it into a host organism, (2) gene editing to rapidly edit mammalian cells and how we can carry out manipulations at the single cell level with near instant generation of clonal, isogenic cell lines (and comparing to gold-standard techniques), and (3) to screen for industrial-relevant enzymes. These are the new possibilities for applications in synthetic biology that are enabled by droplet-type microfluidics. I will also review some of our efforts in creating automation systems and designs of droplet-based microfluidic devices.
Bio:
Steve Shih completed his Ph.D in Biomedical Engineering specializing in microfluidic (or “lab-on-chip”) technologies at the University of Toronto. He then spent 3 years at UC Berkeley and at the Joint BioEnergy Institute as a postdoctoral researcher where he learned pathway engineering and synthetic biology. As of 2020, he is an Associate Professor at Concordia University (Montreal, Canada) in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and also in the Department of Biology. His research focuses on developing microfluidic tools for health, energy, and synthetic biology applications. Recently, he has been awarded the Allan Kuchinsky Bio-Automation Award from Synthetic Biology Automation Society and elected as an Emerging Investigator from the Royal Society of Chemistry.
Zoom link (with one-time registration for the whole series) for attending remotely: https://go.epfl.ch/EPFLBioETalks
Instructions for 1st-year Ph.D. students who are under EDBB’s mandatory seminar attendance rule:
IN CASE you cannot attend in-person in the room, please make sure to
Abstract:
Synthetic biology describes the process of engineering a cell for new or improved functionality. The biggest challenge with synthetic biology is the standardization and reproducibility – where much of the work in synthetic biology research is not automated. Droplet and digital microfluidics has emerged to provide solutions to expedite the ‘design-build-test’ synthetic biology workflow – leading to automating multiple aspects of the cycle. In my talk, I will discuss the use of droplet-based microfluidic platforms for three main applications related to (1) designing new constructs to assembling DNA and bringing it into a host organism, (2) gene editing to rapidly edit mammalian cells and how we can carry out manipulations at the single cell level with near instant generation of clonal, isogenic cell lines (and comparing to gold-standard techniques), and (3) to screen for industrial-relevant enzymes. These are the new possibilities for applications in synthetic biology that are enabled by droplet-type microfluidics. I will also review some of our efforts in creating automation systems and designs of droplet-based microfluidic devices.
Bio:
Steve Shih completed his Ph.D in Biomedical Engineering specializing in microfluidic (or “lab-on-chip”) technologies at the University of Toronto. He then spent 3 years at UC Berkeley and at the Joint BioEnergy Institute as a postdoctoral researcher where he learned pathway engineering and synthetic biology. As of 2020, he is an Associate Professor at Concordia University (Montreal, Canada) in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and also in the Department of Biology. His research focuses on developing microfluidic tools for health, energy, and synthetic biology applications. Recently, he has been awarded the Allan Kuchinsky Bio-Automation Award from Synthetic Biology Automation Society and elected as an Emerging Investigator from the Royal Society of Chemistry.
- Since Jan 2024 Steve became the Co-Director of the Center for Applied Synthetic Biology at Concordia University, Montreal, Canada.
- 2016-current Steve is a Principal Investigator (Associate Professor) in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering with cross appointments in Biology and Chemical Engineering
- 2013-2015 Postdoc, UC Berkeley and Joint Bioenergy Institute, Berkeley, California, USA
- 2009, Research Internship at Sandia National Laboratories, Livermore, California, USA
- 2008-2012 PhD student, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- 2005-2008 MSc Student, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- 2000-2004 BASc student in Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Zoom link (with one-time registration for the whole series) for attending remotely: https://go.epfl.ch/EPFLBioETalks
Instructions for 1st-year Ph.D. students who are under EDBB’s mandatory seminar attendance rule:
IN CASE you cannot attend in-person in the room, please make sure to
- send D. Reinhard a note well ahead of time (ideally before seminar day), informing that you plan to attend the talk online, and, during seminar:
- be signed in on Zoom with a recognizable user name (not any alias making it difficult or impossible to identify you).
Practical information
- Informed public
- Registration required
Organizer
- Prof. Christoph Merten, EPFL
Contact
- Institute of Bioengineering (IBI), Dietrich REINHARD