Electrical separation of biomolecules using nanostructures

This PhD focuses on the development of an electro-capturing method and device for the separation and enrichment of biomolecules in a microfluidic context. Nucleic acids can be manipulated efficiently using electric fields due to an abundance of negative charges. These charges allow fast electrophoretic migration in an electric field, this property is widely exploited in DNA gel electrophoresis. It is however, not straightforward to scale this method down for integration into microfluidic systems since it demands highly ordered nanoporous structures combined with an electric field. Advanced lithography techniques will be used to fabricate 2D or 3D nanoporous structures and incorporate them in microfluidic devices. Nanoporous structures in combination with electric fields will be exploited for DNA/RNA isolation and separation. The research will start by establishing a multiphysics electro-fluidic model to describe DNA/RNA isolation & translocation through nanostructures and then generating optimal nanofluidic device designs in accordance with this model. After device fabrication by the imec facility, the student will characterize the devices and validate DNA/RNA isolations & separations by lab measurements.