IEM Seminar Series in Microfluidics and biology on chip: Reconfigurable Microscale Flow Patterns: From Electroosmotic Flow Dipoles to Bio-Molecular Separation
Abstract
The ability to manipulate fluids at the microscale is at the core of many scientific and technological advancements in the fields of labs-on-a-chip and organs-on-a-chip. Despite its importance, microscale flow control remains limited due to the use of physical microchannels and mechanical actuators, in which geometries and functionalities are intimately related to one another, i.e., changing the flow field requires changing the channel geometry, the pumping configuration, or both at the mechanical level.
In this seminar I will present a novel method for microscale flow control that leverages non-uniform electroosmosis to create dynamic flow patterns, allowing fluid manipulation without the use of physical walls. I will cover the fundamentals of electroosmotic flows and discuss its spatiotemporal control by modulating the surface zeta potential distribution using a set of gate electrodes patterned on the floor of a microfluidic chamber (PNAS, 2019). This method generates complex flow patterns that are not achievable using standard fluid actuation mechanisms, including flow dipoles (PRL, 2019) and bidirectional flows (Ang. Chem., 2020). I will then present the use of this approach for the separation of biomolecules, including DNA and antibodies (Anal. Chem., 2022), and for microscale hydrodynamic cloaking (PRL, 2021). Finally, I will discuss our latest results on the control of an array of gate electrodes using photoconductive switches (Microsystems & Nanoengineering, 2023) and share my vision regarding the use of reconfigurable microfluidic systems for lab- and organ-on-chip applications.
Short bio
Dr. Federico Paratore holds a B.Sc. in chemical engineering and a M.Sc. cum laude in nanotechnology engineering, both from Sapienza University of Rome. He completed his Ph.D. in mechanical engineering at Technion & IBM Research in 2019, focusing on electrokinetic phenomena for lab-on-a-chip applications. After a research stay at the University of Texas at Austin, he held a postdoctoral position at IBM Research from 2019 to 2021, during which he developed novel separation methods for biomolecular analysis. In 2021, he joined ETH Zurich, where he currently serves as a Senior Scientist. His research activities bridge the gap between fundamental and applied research, covering topics from engineering microscale mass transport to dynamic control of active materials and liquid interfaces. Dr. Paratore is a recipient of the Ambizione fellowship (2023), the IBM Invention Achievement Award (2021), the Bridge Proof-Of-Concept fellowship (2020), and the Arthur Shavit Award for the best Ph.D. thesis (2019). In addition to his academic pursuits, he has worked in various industries, including automotive (FIAT group) and healthcare electronics (Philips), and he recently co-founded Unbound Potential, a startup in the field of energy storage.
The ability to manipulate fluids at the microscale is at the core of many scientific and technological advancements in the fields of labs-on-a-chip and organs-on-a-chip. Despite its importance, microscale flow control remains limited due to the use of physical microchannels and mechanical actuators, in which geometries and functionalities are intimately related to one another, i.e., changing the flow field requires changing the channel geometry, the pumping configuration, or both at the mechanical level.
In this seminar I will present a novel method for microscale flow control that leverages non-uniform electroosmosis to create dynamic flow patterns, allowing fluid manipulation without the use of physical walls. I will cover the fundamentals of electroosmotic flows and discuss its spatiotemporal control by modulating the surface zeta potential distribution using a set of gate electrodes patterned on the floor of a microfluidic chamber (PNAS, 2019). This method generates complex flow patterns that are not achievable using standard fluid actuation mechanisms, including flow dipoles (PRL, 2019) and bidirectional flows (Ang. Chem., 2020). I will then present the use of this approach for the separation of biomolecules, including DNA and antibodies (Anal. Chem., 2022), and for microscale hydrodynamic cloaking (PRL, 2021). Finally, I will discuss our latest results on the control of an array of gate electrodes using photoconductive switches (Microsystems & Nanoengineering, 2023) and share my vision regarding the use of reconfigurable microfluidic systems for lab- and organ-on-chip applications.
Short bio
Dr. Federico Paratore holds a B.Sc. in chemical engineering and a M.Sc. cum laude in nanotechnology engineering, both from Sapienza University of Rome. He completed his Ph.D. in mechanical engineering at Technion & IBM Research in 2019, focusing on electrokinetic phenomena for lab-on-a-chip applications. After a research stay at the University of Texas at Austin, he held a postdoctoral position at IBM Research from 2019 to 2021, during which he developed novel separation methods for biomolecular analysis. In 2021, he joined ETH Zurich, where he currently serves as a Senior Scientist. His research activities bridge the gap between fundamental and applied research, covering topics from engineering microscale mass transport to dynamic control of active materials and liquid interfaces. Dr. Paratore is a recipient of the Ambizione fellowship (2023), the IBM Invention Achievement Award (2021), the Bridge Proof-Of-Concept fellowship (2020), and the Arthur Shavit Award for the best Ph.D. thesis (2019). In addition to his academic pursuits, he has worked in various industries, including automotive (FIAT group) and healthcare electronics (Philips), and he recently co-founded Unbound Potential, a startup in the field of energy storage.
Practical information
- General public
- Free