Title: From Smart-Phones to Diagnostics
Speaker: Prof. Hywel Morgan
Affiliation: School of Electronics and Computer Science, and Institute for Life Sciences, University of Southampton, United Kingdom
Date: Friday November 13th
Time: 14:00
Please check your BAIS emails for the Zoom meeting information or please contact to me@bilkent.edu.tr
Abstract: Microfluidic technologies developed over the past decades have underpinned the success of the Lab on Chip. In this talk I will present examples of such systems developed in our lab. The first is a new programmable digital microfluidic (DMF) platform that allows precise manipulation of hundreds of nano-litre sized aqueous droplets. These chips contain thousands of individual electrodes, manufactured using the same technology as used in mobile phone and laptop displays. The device performs all the classical microfluidic operations such as dosing, dispensing and mixing, and provides a platform that supports a range of analytical assays in an automated hands-off system such as immune assays or multiplexed rapid genotypic tests.
I will also describe a label-free electrical impedance technology for analysis of single cells, and how this can perform a full blood count from a tiny drop of blood. Recently the technique has been used to provide rapid (30 minute) test to determine if bacteria in an infection are resistant to antibiotics. This compares with a standard test that takes one to two days.
Bio: Hywel Morgan is Professor of Bioelectronics and deputy director of the University of Southampton Institute for Life Sciences. He moved to Southampton in 2004 after 10 years at the University of Glasgow In 2012 he was awarded a Royal Society Industry Fellowship with Sharp Labs to develop microfluidic diagnostic technologies using consumer electronics. In 2017 he founded a spin-out (Vivoplex) to commercialise miniature in-vivo vital signs sensors. He has published over 250 peer reviewed papers (H-index 73) and co-authored a text-book on AC electrokinetics. He served on the editorial board of Lab on Chip (2009-2012) and as associate editor for Biomicrofluidics (2011-2018). Since 2007 he has been editor of Microfluidics and Nanofluidics. He is a fellow of the Institute of Physics, and the Royal Society of Chemistry. He holds a Royal Society Wolfson research merit award.