Scalable Integration of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Into Microfluidic Devices

University Of Virginia Main Campus, Charlottesville VA

Investigators

Abstract

With support from the Analytical and Surface Chemistry Program in the Division of Chemistry, Professor Marcel Utz and his group at the University of Virginia are working to combine the advantages of microfluidic devices and magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS). Similar to the more widely-known magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), MRS is a powerful method of chemical analysis which allows identification of chemical compounds as well as the detailed study of biological molecules such as proteins and nucleic acids. It is particularly well-suited to detect many different metabolites in biological systems simultaneously. Microfluidic devices are miniaturized chemical laboratories on a chip which allow precise control of very small amounts of liquids in complicated fluidic networks. They enable integration of laboratory procedures into a simple and expandable platform, often with huge improvements in cost, reliability, and throughput. The Utz group seeks to develop an efficient method to extract MRS spectra directly from samples inside microfluidic devices, without the need to transfer liquid from the chip to the MRS spectrometer. To achieve this, magnetic inductive coupling is being used to focus the sensitivity of the spectrometer onto specific fluidic chambers on the chip. This will enable new tools for research as well as medical diagnostics based on the simultaneous detection of a large number of metabolites. The project is highly interdisciplinary, bringing together microfabrication, electrical engineering, chemistry, and spectroscopy. It provides an ideal learning and training environment for postdoctoral research associates as well as graduate and undergraduate students. It also provides summer research experiences for school students and teachers, familiarizing them with an exciting area of scientific inquiry.