This work involves the development of microfluidics for the generation of bio-mimetic micro-environments and well controlled micro-reactor based colloid and polymer synthesis. Such small contained systems offer the ability to control biologically relevant parameters such as surface chemistry, fluid shear and chemical gradients and thus permit one to carry out experiments in controlled, synthetic environments that are biologically-relevant. Efforts are centered on constructing and studying artificial systems that replicate or simulate processes which occur in biology, such as passive and active transport of cells and microorganisms in the human body. The goal of the research is to provide insight into the physics of such processes and to take steps towards building more complex synthetic bio-systems.

 

A vesicle composed of a phospholipid bilayer membrane approaching a constriction in a microfluidic device .