Hydrophobic Materials for Droplet Manipulation

Project Description:

The understanding of how cancer cells and immune cells interact can help the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. The control of cells in droplets allows isolation and transport of cells, which is useful for studying cell communication and difficult to achieve in a single system. Electrowetting or digital microfluidics create opportunities for precision control of cells without the presence of continuous flow seen in traditional microfluidics. The droplets are individually controlled and easily configurable with a PCB. One of the reasons that the droplet is capable of movement is because it lies on a hydrophobic surface. This project will focus on surveying the materials used for the hydrophobic layer in the system. The overall research goals include identifying the material and droplet configuration that allows the fastest and most consistent droplet movement. The goal is to understand what makes certain materials better for electrowetting and how we can predict that from its material characteristics.