Abstract

Microfluidics can take laboratory processes and miniaturize them, which led to the term lab-on-a-chip. Microfluidic devices are fabricated with a variety of materials and methods, each offering distinct advantages for bioanalysis. This dissertation describes two methods to create these devices, with the use of four different materials to achieve different assay needs. In the first application in this dissertation, hot-embossed cyclic olefin copolymer was used to create microdevices to electrophoretically separate seven preterm birth biomarkers. One biomarker, thrombin-antithrombin III, cannot be purchased commercially so I developed methods for its assembly in the lab. Dot blots and mass spectrometry were used to evaluate the synthesis of thrombin-antithrombin III. The next application evaluated digital-light processing stereolithography 3D printing resins. A new optically clear resin was developed and compared to two previously described resins. The physical characteristics (i.e., hardness and Young's modulus), biocompatibility, and electrophoretic separation capabilities were compared. Lastly, 3D printing was used to create microfluidic devices with embedded affinity columns to extract, fluorescently label, and detect chikungunya virus RNA. Conditions for detecting RNA were optimized using oligonucleotides, and a linear relationship was determined for concentration of RNA loaded and fluorescent signal detected. The specificity of the column was tested with a genetically similar virus; viral RNA from both viruses was loaded to demonstrate ability to extract and detect only chikungunya virus. These applications show microfluidic devices' ability to analyze various biomolecules. This work also exhibits multiple tools that can be used in microfluidics. Using these methods provides better characterization of diseases, drugs, and wellness.

Degree

PhD

College and Department

Computational, Mathematical, and Physical Sciences; Chemistry and Biochemistry

Rights

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