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An array of leukocytes in polyethyl glycol (PEG) hydrogel microcavities of 20 microns created using lithography and PEG polymerization.

Biomicroelectromechanical Systems (BioMEMS) Resource Center

Contents

• Contact Information
• Grant Number
• Research Emphasis
• Current Research
• Resource Capabilities
• References

Contact Information

BioMEMS Resource Center
Massachusetts General Hospital
114 16th Street, Room 1239
Charlestown, MA 02129-4404
(Web site in development)

Principal Investigator/Contact
Mehmet Toner, Ph.D.
Phone: 617-371-4883
Fax: 617-573-9471
mtoner@hms.harvard.edu

Contact
Octavio Hurtado
Phone: 617-724-3043
Fax: 617-724-2999
ohurtado@partenrs.org

Grant Number

Grant No. EB002503

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Research Emphasis

The BioMEMS Resource Center's mission is to provide biomedical investigators with novel microsystems engineering tools for biological discovery, diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic applications. Thrust areas of interest for the BioMEMS Resource Center are the development of novel living cell-based, lab-on-a-chip type devices for sorting blood cells, for high-throughput biochemistry in small volumes, and for studying cellular behavior in controlled microenvironments. 

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Current Research

Microfabricated devices are being developed for blood separation and rapid sorting of leukocytes into homogenous subpopulations without altering the blood cells physiology or phenotype prior to molecular characterization. The overall goal is to interrogate homogeneous subpopulation of blood cells in their native state for diagnostic and therapeutic applications in infectious diseases, trauma, and immunoinflammatory processes. In addition, strategies based on functional genomics tools that combine GFP reporter technology and microfabrication techniques are developed for the profiling of dynamic gene expression in living cell arrays. This and specific liver tissue engineering methods are used in order to develop microfabricated in vitro systems that mimic the in vivo organization of the liver acinus for investigating gene expression in real-time in living cells. The core research efforts are supplemented with the activities of numerous collaborators in biological and clinical fields. For example, microfluidic gradient generators are being utilized to generate precisely controlled spatial and temporal chemotactic gradients to probe into the molecular and cellular mechanisms of leukocyte bi-directional motility in the immune response.

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Resource Capabilities

The BioMEMS facility is an integrated environment designed to promote interdisciplinary research. The laboratory space is organized around a state-of-the-art class 1000 clean room, and includes a fully functional cell and tissue culture area, chemistry and surface engineering area, microscopy and microfluidics area, and wet-lab benches. Such disposition of the working space provides unique advantages for the rapid prototyping and testing of BioMEMS.

Clean Room Equipment

• Coater, Solitec Corp. Mod. 5110PD
• Coater, Machine World Inc
• Convection Ovens (2), Despatch Inst. Mod. LCC1-11
• Convection Ovens (2), Lindberg Corp.
• Mask Aligner, Quintel Corp. Mod 2001 CT
• Microscope, Olympus BX60
• StereoZoom Microscope, Leica MZ8
• Profilometer, Dektak 3ST
• Spin-Dryers, Verteq, Mod. 1600
• Fume Hood (2), Plastic Design Inc.
• Plasma Asher, March Inst

Special Features

Educational programs include ad-hoc on-site training on specific technologies, periodic workshops, and comprehensive courses targeted towards students and researchers, with the overall goal of rapid dissemination of new tools of microfabrication to the biomedical community. The BioMEMS Research Center also offers technological assistance for projects and for technology transfer, and is actively involved in organizing seminar series on BioMEMS topics.

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References

1. Sethu P, Anahtar M, et al. Continuous flow microfluidic device for rapid erythrocyte lysis. Analytical Chemistry 2004;76(21):6247-6253.
2. Irimia D, Tompkins RG, et al. Single-cell chemical lysis in picoliter-scale closed volumes using a microfabricated device. Analytical Chemistry 2004;76(20):6137-6143.
3. Thompson DM, King KR, et al. Dynamic gene expression profiling using a microfabricated living cell array. Analytical Chemistry 2004;76(14):4098-4103.
4. Revzin A, Rajagopalan P, et al. Designing a hepatocellular microenvironment with protein microarraying and poly(ethylene glycol) photolithography. Langmuir 2004;20(8):2999-3005.
5. Maxwell RB, Gerhardt AL, et al. A microbubble-powered bioparticle actuator. Journal of Microelectromechanical Systems 2003;12(5):630-640.