Microfluidics

Microfluidics deals with manipulation and control of small quantity of fluids in micro- and nano-channels and as such, it initiated revolution in different fields including microbiology, medicine, and chemical analysis.

 

We focus our research on analysis and design of different microfluidic components, development of the new materials for microfluidic chips, and integration of the microfluidics with different detection systems and electronics. To that end, we employ different fabrication technologies PDMS, LTCC, 3D and inkjet printing, bio-printing, xurography, and hybrid technologies.

 

Since the utilization of only one microfabrication technology cannot fulfill all the requirements set by the microfluidic chip, we also employ hybrid fabrication approach, i.e. we combine various technologies with various materials to realize microfluidic chips with high resolution, small dimension, and high flow rate. For instance, hybrid approach is used to develop multilayered filtration units, high flow rate mixers, as well as pollen separation pinch flow.

 

Also, we integrate microfluidic concept and reagent storages with various transduction principles and sensors, to develop lab-on-a-chip platform which finds application in in-field environment monitoring, biomedicine and food analysis.

 

Moreover, we work on development of microfluidic reactor that integrates cell culture system, different sensors for nutrient concentration and metabolic waste products measurement, optical detection system and electronics into single chip.

 

Our efforts are also focused on medical applications – we combine the top notch microfluidic technologies and organ-on-a-chip concept, along with the technology of induced pluripotent stem cells, to design a new generation of heart-on-a-chip for the patient treatment.
In addition, we develop a microfluidic platform able to reproduce the dynamic and heterogeneity of the soil conditions while implementing monitoring systems for investigating the root/plant–microbiome interactions in a microfluidic device.

 

 

 

PROJECTS:

 

CISTEM – Heart On chip based on induced pluripotent Stem cell Technology for personalized Medicine, H2020-MSCA-RISE-2017, GA No. 778354

 

REALSENSE1 – Monitoring of cell culture parameters using sensors for biomass and nutrients/metabolites in media: Lab-on-a-Chip (LOC) approach, 2019-2021; Good Food Institute Inaugural Competitive Grant Program.

 

IPANEMA – Integration of PAper-based Nucleic acid testing mEthods into Microfluidic devices for improved biosensing Applications, H2020-MSCA-RISE-2019, 2020-2024. GA No. 872662,

 

NANOFACTS – Networking Activities for Nanotechnology-Facilitated Cancer Theranostics, H2020 – WIDESPREAD-05-2020 – Twinning, 2021-2024. GA No. 952259

 

Development and Integration of Microfluidic Biosensors for Meat Safety monitoring in farm-to-slaughterhouse continuum (DIBMES), Innovation fond, Serbia, Call: Proof of Concept ID: 5524