DIELECTROPHORETIC SEPARATION OF BIOLOGICAL CELLS IN MIRCOFLUIDIC SYSTEMS

Abstract

CELL SEPARATION IS A CRITICAL PROCESS WHICH HAS AN EXTENSIVE RANGE OF APPLICATIONS. DIELECTROPHORESIS (DEP), WHICH IS THE TRANSPORT OF NON-CHARGED CELLS IN A NON-UNIFORM ELECTRIC FIELD, HAS MOTIVATED MANY RESEARCHES DUE ITS ATTRACTIVE PRIVILEGES. THIS THESIS EXPLOITS THE COMPELLING MERITS OF THE DEP TO ADDRESS THE CELL SEPARATION DEMANDS IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES (SUCH AS ASSESSING THE MICROBIAL WATER SAFETY) AS WELL AS BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES (SUCH AS DISCRIMINATING THE SUBTYPES OF BACTERIAL CELLS). AS A FIRST DEMONSTRATION, A NOVEL HYBRID DEP SYSTEM WAS INTRODUCED TO DETECT TWO COMMON WATERBORNE PATHOGENS, ESCHERICHIA COLI (E. COLI) AND CRYPTOSPORIDIUM PARVUM. BESIDES, A SIMPLE, YET, EFFICIENT MICROFLUIDIC SYSTEMS WAS DEVELOPED TO SEPARATE THE INFECTIOUS AND THE HARMLESS STRAINS OF E. COLI. FINALLY, AS THERE IS A GROWING DEMAND FOR THE PREPARATIVE-SCALE AND HENCE CONTINUOUS LABEL-FREE CELL SEPARATION METHODS, A ROBUST DEP MICROFLUIDIC SYSTEM WAS THEN ESTABLISHED FOR STRAIN SORTING USING