Our mission is to make things move at small scales: fluids, particles, molecules, solid objects. We do this by carrying out research in our Microfab/lab, where we develop innovative technological concepts and microfabrication methods to create novel microfluidic devices, microactuators, and microrobotics serving a wide range of applications.

WE MAKE THINGS WORK AT SMALL SCALES

In microfluidic systems, active control of fluids and species is essential. Examples are fluid pumping, mixing, mechanical actuation, sorting of cells and particles, and biomolecule capture for diagnostics. We develop and apply micro-actuators, responsive surfaces, and magnetic bead actuation systems, to realize these functions. Our approaches are often biologically inspired, translating principles from nature into technological innovations.

As an important application of our microfluidic systems, and in collaboration with biological, biomedical, and clinical groups, we develop biomedical microdevices to study and understand the behavior of cells, tissues, and organs. This work is aimed at learning about health and disease, to eventually enable the development of novel monitoring strategies, therapies and medicines. Specifically, we develop organs-on-chips as in-vitro disease models focusing on cancer, we study mechanical properties of cells, and we develop technologies for in-vitro diagnostics.

We also develop new concepts for microactuators that combine magnetic, electrical, optical and/or mechanical functionalities, for a range of applications, from microrobotics, to lithography machines to new display principles.