Lab on a Chip

Recent news:

still frame from animated video explaining single cell analysis

BlotSeq single cell sequencing – animated!

February 7, 2025

BioE postdoc Trinh Lam’s animated video explains how Herr Lab’s BlotSeq single-cell tool uses sequencing data to guide protein selection without the need to predefine targets, making the process more flexible.

Photo of Lam receiving best paper certificate on stage at conference

Herr Lab Postdoc Wins AIP Best Paper

November 12, 2024

Trinh Lam, a postdoc in Amy Herr’s lab, has won the Biomicrofluidics Best Paper Award from AIP Publishing at the 28th International Conference on Miniaturized Systems for Chemistry and Life Sciences – Micro-Total Analysis Systems (µTAS 2024).

photo of microfluidic chip

Microfluidics: Biology’s Liquid Revolution

February 26, 2024

Professor Aaron Streets was featured in this overview on the potential of microfluidics in The Scientist magazine.

photo of microfluidic device

Streamlined detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in saliva

August 30, 2022

Patrick Hsu’s lab has developed an RNA-extraction-free test for rapid viral detection using saliva via a microfluidic device. The fast, accurate, and portable prototype shows potential as a point-of-care system to support frequent, on-site molecular diagnostics. This work was the August 2022 cover story for Nature Biomedical Engineering.

photo of microfluidic channel

Single-cell studies offer new view of how HIV infections persist

August 8, 2022

Professor Iain Clark, in partnership with graduate program faculty member Adam Abate, was able to analyze single cells harboring latent HIV using a technique that isolates single, infected cells as tiny amounts of blood move through their microfluidic devices. Their work was featured in Science news.

research illustration from publication

Clark lab’s technique IDs new therapeutic targets for inflammatory autoimmunity

April 27, 2021

Cell interactions contribute to central nervous system pathology, but techniques to define these interactions are limited. In a publication in Science, Professor Iain Clark’s lab describes a new method that determines the molecular phenotypes and connections between cells in vivo. This technique allows them to identify new therapeutic targets that disrupt inflammatory crosstalk in experimental autoimmunity, and potentially, in neurologic disorders like Multiple Sclerosis. 

photo of microfluidic chip

Using microfluidics to peer deeper into the structure of our genome

January 28, 2021

Professor Aaron Streets’ lab has developed a novel technique for unraveling and imaging lengthy strands of DNA.

still of video interview with Dan Fletcher

Video – Dan Fletcher on new rapid COVID-19 test that uses smartphone camera

January 14, 2021

Check out this video interview with Professor Dan Fletcher on his collaboration with CRISPR researchers to produce a rapid COVID-19 test using a smartphone camera.

photos of Nixon, Yang, Chen

Three BioE alumni in Forbes 30 Under 30!

December 17, 2020

Congratulations to three bioengineering alumni named to the 2021 Forbes 30 Under 30 list. Joshua Yang (MTM 2016) and Robert Chen (BS 2013) were named in Healthcare: Yang for his work on developing non-invasive tools to measure kidney injuries through startup company Nephrosant, and Chen for designing therapies for undernourished children, using links between certain gut bacteria and stunted growth. Joshua Nixon (BS 2016) and co-founder were named in the Social Impact list for founding Prime Roots, a company developing plant-based meat and seafood alternatives.