Laboratory
• Microscale Optical and Electrical Laboratory (µ-EOS Lab)
The µ-EOS Lab focuses on developing optical and electrical diagnostics of cellular physiological changes such as proliferation, migration, apoptosis, and so on. In addition to the opto-electrical examination of cells, this lab also works on micro/nano-fabrications and microfluidics. This lab is well equipped with dark room facility ready for fluorescent imaging. This lab currently holds two microscopies equipped with bright field, phase contrast, interference reflection, total internal reflection fluorescence, and epi-fluorescence optical components with help of the state of art 'electron multiplying charge coupled device (EMCCD) which allows very low intensity measurement. Another primary portion of this lab is the 'micro-impedance system', which consists of an SR830 lock-in amplifier, SCXI-1331 switch, DAQ board, along with other resistors. The corresponding data acquisition and analysis has been implemented for this system using LabVIEW software. Those optical and electrical capabilities are employed to develop a dynamic microfluidic cellular environment system, to examine the dynamic morphological evolution of cells, and to detect transport rates of various proteins in a live cell. In addition to the opto-electrical examination of cells, this lab also works on micro/nano-fabrications, microscale heat transfer (thin film evaporation), and microfluidics.
• • Soft Lithography Laboratory (1005, departmental facility)
Dr. Choi is in charge of this photolithography room. The Soft Lithography Lab was being established in order to facilitate rapid fabrication of microfluidic systems in polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), a soft silicon material. This lab is a departmental facility that includes a benchtop fume hood and a walk-in fumehood. Microchannel networks are fabricated by producing a negative of the microfluidic channels using a photoresist, the spin coater, a mask and the UV lamp. The PDMS can be cast and cured over the channel negative easily maintaining dimensions as small as 5 micrometers. Once cured, the PDMS block having the microchannels can be pealed off of the photoresist and placed in the plasma cleaner with another material (glass, plastic or PDMS) where the surfaces are ionized. The ionization takes only a few minutes, then the PDMS with the channels can be bonded to the second material by placing the materials in contact. A complex network of microchannels can be fabricated and bonded within an afternoon.
• • • Cell Culture Room (1006)
Dr. Choi is also in charge of a separated cell culture room. This lab is open to our department faculty and students. This room owns autoclave, -20 & -80°C freezer, refrigerators, refrigerators, balance, vortex mixer, CO2 incubators, and laminar flow culture hood.