Regensburg 2010 – wissenschaftliches Programm

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CPP: Fachverband Chemische Physik und Polymerphysik

CPP 25: Focus: Active Fluids

CPP 25.7: Vortrag

Mittwoch, 24. März 2010, 12:15–12:30, H39

Active fluids and soft matter in biotechnology and medicine — •Magnus Jaeger — Saarland University, Faculty of Clinical Medicine (2.28), 66421 Homburg / Saar, Germany

Biologically and medically relevant fluids are highly complex. They consist of suspensions containing non-negligible concentrations of deformable particles: cells. The cells have to be (a) identified in mixtures and (b) sorted into individual fractions. Both requirements are fulfilled by different methods commonly employed. However, these methods become inapplicable, if only small sample volumes are available, e. g. a drop of blood. Additional demands comprise disposables, robustness, low costs and quick results in minutes.

We aim at contributing to this crucial topic, based on our expertise in micro- and nanofluidics. We pursue several research approaches: (I) cells can conveniently be identified by their mechanical properties. To this end, we deform them in a harmless electric field. This technique is fast (seconds), simple (integrable into chip systems) and automatable. We clearly distinguished cancer cells from normal cells of the same tissue. (II) Microfluidics depends on the surface properties of materials, e. g. wettability. We investigate effects of coatings with switchable polymers that change their conformation in a sharp, reversible phase transition between a hydrated, elongated state and a dehydrated, collapsed state. The transition can arbitrarily be controlled externally through the temperature. (III) Further issues concern controllably releasing substances from the cells (RNA) and the separation of the macromolecule solutions.