Testing Experimental Approaches for Corral Trapping in DC Electric Fields

Letters & Science (College of) / Chemistry & Biochemistry

Project Description

Corral trapping is a method conceived in our research group that allows to confine microscopic particles and biomolecules (e.g. DNA) in their native solution environment through the use of electric fields generated by applying a voltage to a patterned electrode surface (the patterns consist of metal-free circular areas, the corral traps). Potential applications of this technology range from fundamental research (e.g. fluorescence correlation spectroscopy, single molecule spectroscopy) to medical research (DNA sequencing, biomolecule tracking) and chemical analysis and separations. Methods used in this research encompass high resolution optical microscopy, super-resolution localization imaging, the fabrication of microfluidic devices using photolithographic methods, and thermal evaporation of thin metal films.

Tasks and Responsibilites

Student tasks will encompass data analysis and carrying out the methodologies and techniques used in our research laboratory (high resolution optical microscopy, super-resolution localization imaging, microfluidic device fabrication, thermal evaporation of thin metal films, electron microscopy).