The Gaborski lab has been working with Blanca’s lab performing some scoping tests w/ SiN and SiOx microporous membranes. The aim is obtain proof of concept results regarding the efficacy of using a microporous membrane to trap sub-micron particles with DEP. Last week, we tested w/ our 200 nm polycarbonate beads. We were able to…
Fluorescent beads were employed to assess electroosmotic flow in various devices. The beads were 200 nm in size and were negatively charged (on account of being carboxylated polystyrene). These beads were suspended in a 0.2 mM K2HPO4 buffer. They were also incubated in 1% BSA solution in an attempt to reduce their surface charge, though…
Today I performed a coating of n-Dodecyl β-D-Maltoside (“DDM”) on PDMS in an attempt to block protein adsorption (reference). The reference describes two different procedures, one in which the protein being incubated on the PDMS surface is in solution with DDM, and one in which the DDM coating is performed before the sample is washed…
Over the past few days Josh and I installed windows 7, windows office suite, Malvern’s Zetasizer software (available online), Tecan’s I-control software (available in the 3-ring binder in the glass cabinet above the machines), and chrome onto the new(er) laptop in the basement. I copied the files on the old computer that seemed relevant –…
Permeance Testing Sepcons were built with 500 nm 5-slot chips. Permeance tests were performed on Samples A-C. Nitrogen gas was pushed through the membrane at a given pressure, and the height on the flow meter tube (green graduated column pictured below) was recorded according to the location of the center of the silver ball. No units…
After experimenting with some different coatings and membrane types in single-well CytoVu devices, here are some representative images of the results: SiN (Nitride) membrane with a Geltrex non-gel coating @ 44hr: 10x: 20x: 40x: SiO2 (Oxide) membrane with a Geltrex non-gel coating @ 42hr: 10x: 20x: 40x: Also, some Live/Dead Assay images were taken on…
I etched 12 pncSi chips and gave it to Chris for EA treatment. I wanted to test 3 storage conditions: gel pack, vacuum container, and water, for total of 4 days including the day of coating as day zero. Unfortunately I got the chips 3 days after the EA treatment, so the time points begin…
Last week I conducted a variety of experiments to try to make a nanofluidic transistor (a device described in detail in this previous journal club post). I did some light optimization of the E-beam deposition of Ag films over a 3nm Ti adhesion layer in the PVD lesker machine and found that 12nm of Ag gives…
I’ve taken fluorescence measurements with the fluorescence microscope on PEGylated and unPEGylated glass coverslips and SiN chips. Six coverslips and six chips were prepared. Samples were treated exactly the same, save for the fact that half the samples had PEG Silane in their treatment and half did not (though they were still bathed in toluene…
Karl and I attempted once again to filter particles with the SiN-NP 5 slot SEPCON chips. (wafer # 1019, 27% porosity, avg. pore dia. – 54 nm in the center, 30%, 61 nm at the perimeter, histograms below) We started trying to first pass 20 nm red fluorospheres, then block 100 nm yellow fluorospheres,…