Welcome Udara to the Microfluidics Cluster UPV/EHU. 

Udara will work in the EU project "MAMI".

ESR 1: “Magnetically Actuated Artificial Cilia“

Smart materials can provide new ways of fluid control and manipulation when integrated in microfluidic devices. In particular, artificial cilia, when fabricated in the walls of microfluidic devices, can be used, as versatile tools for the movement of liquid on confined spaces.[1] Here, the surface of microfluidic channels as well as flat surfaces will be patterned with artificial cilia.

Different fabrication techniques will be evaluated: use of PDMS with integrated magnetic nanoparticles for cilia fabrication and photopatterning of ionogels and polymers with magnetic and/or photoactive properties at flat surfaces. Investigations will be carried out to grow the cilia from the surface, and to actuate them with light or magnetic forces. The generated structures will be pillars of width ranging from 100 μm down to 2 μm.

The fabrication of microfluidic devices will be carried out in order to better accommodate the cilia and to study relevant fluidic properties such as mixing and surface roughness.[2] The performance of the microfluidic devices for free transport through cilia actuation will be investigated.

1   M. Czugala et al., Sensors Actuators B Chem., 194 (2014), 105–13. 

2  J. Saez, L. Basabe-Desmonts and F. Benito-Lopez, Microfluid. Nanofluidics, 20 (2016), 1–7

We wish you all the success for your PhD!