Analysis of Cells, Bacteria, Viruses, and Biomolecules with Next-Generation Microfluidic Systems

Microfluidic systems are well-suited for the analysis of biological particles ranging from mammalian cells to biomolecules in size. This symposium will highlight recent advances in a diverse array of microfluidic systems that have been tailored to optimize performance for their respective applications. The techniques reported will include dielectrophoresis, electrophoretic exclusion, nanofluidic/microfluidic interfaces, transverse AC electrophoresis, and interfacing microfluidic systems with mass spectrometry. Applications for characterizing the variability within mammalian cells will include the differentiation and activation of immune cells and the role of stem cells in the resistance of cancer to chemotherapy. The unique capabilities of microfluidic systems to capture and separate pathogenic bacteria, clarify mechanisms of viral assembly, and enrich trace levels of proteins will further illustrate the diverse applications space of these systems. Attendees will be introduced to the fundamental physical and chemical processes that govern transport within microfluidic systems while gaining an appreciation of the breadth of applications and many technological approaches that are being developed to improve our understanding of how biological systems function and what goes wrong with illness and disease.