Tue May 23rd 2017 11:00 – 12:00 ME266 | Seminar | Are microfluidic biochips the 'arduinos' for biology? Mirela Alistar |
Details:Traditionally, biochips are developed with the purpose of being used by lab technicians or biologists in laboratories or clinics. I take further this vision, by exploring the possibility of developing an integrated platformfor personal use of biochips. Such a platform enables interested users to develop and program their own applications, ranging from fragrance design to molecular gastronomy.In my work, I address the main challenges that users may encounter: accessibility, bio-protocol design and interaction with microfluidics. I believe this is a first step towards personal laboratories: small portable devices that people can own and use to develop customized bio-protocols ('bio-apps'), similar to today’s Arduinos. I will present my work around biochips, finishing with a live demo of my latest device. |