Professor Nancy Allbritton of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Professor Nancy Allbritton of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill will present

"Micro-Assays for the Single Cell"

on August 30, 2017 at 4:10 PM in Neville Hall, Room 003.

Abstract:

The ability to assay and manipulate the microenvironment of cells or small cell clusters is one of the most promising applications for microengineered systems. The laboratory is developing a suite of technologies based on microengineered platforms and microfluidics to manipulate and analyze living cells. We have developed simple, inexpensive fabrication methods utilizing photoresists, plastics, and hydrogels for cell-based array. The fabricated devices include detachable, deformable or biodegradable array elements designed for cell analysis and sorting.

A second focus area develops new analytical tools to assess signaling pathways in large numbers of single cells to enable a better understanding of the complex circuitry within a cell. An integrated microelectrophoresis platform facilitates rapid separation and quantification of enzyme probes and their metabolic products from a cell to report the activity of kinases, lipases, and proteases. Automation in both areas yields sufficient single-cell assays to achieve statistically significant results with the end goal of creating diagnostic and prognostic assays for clinical medicine and biomedical researchers.