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Dr. Alexandra Ros

Analytical and bioanalytical applications of microfluidic devices or so called Lab-on-a-Chip Systems have been an extensive field of research over the past two decades. In many instances, integration of (bio)chemical analyses onto microfluidic platforms has been inspired by existing, conventional macroscopic techniques and their miniaturization, thanks to the advances in micro- and nanofabrication. In contrast to this approach of downscaling existing analytical techniques, research in the Ros lab focuses on microfluidics and its bioanalytical applications exploiting the properties of the micro- and nanoenvironment. I will present our efforts to employ electric field gradients generated in micro- and nanofluidic platforms for dielectrophoretic manipulation for a variety of biomolecules. In my presentation, I will show dielectrophoretic trapping and separation of DNA and DNA nanoassemblies. Furthermore, the manipulation and concentration of proteins on microfluidic platforms will be discussed and how these devices can be used for fractionating nanoparticles including protein crystals. If time allows I will also show how we aim to apply dielectrophoresis for the generation of non-equilibrium separation mechanisms of submicrometer particles.