Microfluidics and Chip Development

Over the course of the summer, I have continued to work within the Escobedo Lab on our various projects involving microfluidics and Raman spectroscopy. Specializing in Lab-On-Chip design, I focused on furthering our research into bacterial biofilm generation and microplastic separation. This included developing a microfluidic chip to enable the interaction between cholera bacteria and intestinal lining and furthering a previous chip design which uses centrifugal force to separate microplastics from a continuously flowing stream of water. I also assisted other researchers with their chip designs, including aiding in the brainstorming of a model meant to digest biological samples to extract microplastics embedded in them, and assisting in designing an entrapment system to concentrate molecules over a SERS (Surface Enhanced Raman Spectrum) based sensor. During the course of my lab work, I also noted some areas in which the lab required additional equipment or features to run more effectively. This led to me developing a number of fixes and aides during our down time between experiments, which I then modeled in CAD and made using our in-lab SLA 3D printers. This solved a variety of issues, including making camera stands to better record experiments and developing covered sample holders for light sensitive materials. Over the course of my summer, I am pleased to say I progressed several areas of our laboratory work, and I am looking forward to continuing my research for my 4th-year thesis this coming year