Object manoeuvring in a microfluidic device using photostimulated microswimmer Euglena gracilis
Date4th Aug 2023
Time03:00 PM
Venue Google Meet link: https://meet.google.com/umr-svtz-ypu
PAST EVENT
Details
Biological microswimmers such as Euglena gracilis demonstrate diverse response to physical stimulation such as chemicals, light, gravity, etc. Of these, the response to optical stimulus, called phototaxis, has been studied and analysed in detail. The motion of Euglena gracilis can be manipulated very precisely by subjecting it to light irradiation of different intensities. We make use of this characteristic to study the ability of these microswimmers to move objects from one point to another within a microfluidic channel. To achieve this, a microfluidic device comprising of SU-8 micro-structures is fabricated using conventional photolithography. Control over the light irradiation and light patterns for Euglena trapping is achieved by using an optical setup comprising of a digital micromirror device (DMD). We demonstrate the successful manoeuvring of a square microstructure within a microfluidic channel. We believe that the photostimulated manoeuvring ability of microswimmers can be utilized to design unique non-invasive platforms and can play a significant role in the future of biomedical engineering and drug delivery.
Speakers
Mr. Pulasta Chakrabarty, ED20D400
Department of Engineering Design