INFLUEMP · Integration of fluidic and electric microscaled principles

Final Activity Report Summary - INFLUEMP (Integration of Fluidic and Electric Microscaled Principles)

Scientific topic of the project was the integration of microfluidic and electric principles for creating a knowledge platform to design micro- and nano-scale biodevices as laboratory-on-a-chip at higher technological level. Marie Curie host fellowship is a project, in which the scientific and societal goals are associated and both are equally important. Transfer of Knowledge (TOK) is the main activity besides scientific excellence. First of all, transfer into the host institution iba has been carried out through hiring the foreign project fellows from Estonia, Romania, Greece, Ireland, and Japan/China. These people had come from different countries with different traditions, culture and educational background. Therefore, also cultural exchange took place. Second, transfer of knowledge took place between the scientists of the project group including the following scientists from iba. After every two weeks regular TOK group meetings took place under promotion of Prof. Dieter Beckmann, the TOK project manager from iba, where the group members presented their research results and gave lectures to other members of the group. Two times per year the results were introduced to all the co-workers of iba. Group members have participated in tens of scientific forums in Germany and abroad (also in the USA) with presentations on the project results. Iba has organised two significant forums during the project: Heiligenstädter Kolloquiums (the 14th Kolloquium in Sept.2008 and the 15th Kolloquium in Sept. 2010) together with tutorials "Characterisation of biological objects through their passive electrical properties". Several discussions on scientific and technological results have been carried out in industrial enterprises as microtechnology enterprise GeSiM mbH in Dresden, electronics company MEODAT in Ilmenau, and Max-Bergmann-Centre of Biomaterials in Dresden, also in universities (University of Lübeck, Technical Universities in Chemnitz and Ilmenau and Tallinn University of Technology, Estonia). A 2-year Master course Miniaturised Biotechnology was organised in 2008 between Technical University of Ilmenau, University of Applied Sciences Jena, and iba, all Germany. Iba provides teaching (lectures and in-house practical training) in three subjects: Biomaterials and -interfaces, Biophysics, and Biomicrosystems Techniques. The results of TOK project are widely used in teaching, including supervising of thesis works. Contacts developed well with Estonian research and development organisations, especially with Tallinn University of Technology (TUT). It can be explained by the fact that more experienced project fellows from abroad, Prof. Mart Min (project leader) and Dr Land, were both from the TUT. Also the previous TOK project fellow Dr Athanasios Giannitsis joined the TUT. Another project has been prepared for continuation of this collaboration. The following scientific and highlights can be underlined among the achieved results: 1) dynamics of electrowetting, which is used for transportation of bioparticles (cells, cell cultures, bacterials etc.) through the microfluidic channels in the electric field, 2) development of short time and broad frequency band impedance spectroscopy for detecting and characterising of bioparticles collected into droplets moving fast in microfluidic channels (patent application is submitted), 3) impedance based measurement of concentration of bioparticles using electrically insulated electrodes (developed method enables to use robust electrodes, patent application is under preparation), 4) engineering achievements in designing of electronic components to microfluidic systems (patent application is submitted) and embedded software components for generating and processing of signals. Summing up, the projects created network between institutions and people in Europe for continuing the research and industrial development of novel microfluidic devices for biotechnology and healthcare.

Data: CORDIS, © European Union