On Wednesday, 26th April 2023, our team participated in the "VIII Jornadas de Investigación de la Facultad de Ciencia y Tecnología". For that, we prepared two posters about microfluidics and our research lines. This was a great opportunity to show all the different applications the microfluidics can cover and learn a bit more about the diverse research fields that are being studied in the faculty. 

In the pictures we can see Sandra Garcia Rey and Juncal Alonso Cabrera alongside the posters of the group titled "Microfluidics Cluster UPV/EHU" and "Microfluidics Applications".

Janire presented her work at the Biomechanics seminar organised by Adai Colon and Jerome Solon from the Biofisika Institute on the 11th of May.

She presented her work on microfabrication of bioelectronics devices that are interfaced with cancer models.

Janire presented at CIC Biogune on the 8th of May. She presented her work about interfacing smart bioelectronics with colorectal cancer models.

Sarah Barron from the Bioelectronic Systems and Technology group (University of Cambridge) visited our labs last March. During her visit, she had the opportunity to meet our team members and the Campus of Vitoria-Gasteiz.

She also presented her PhD work on bioelectronic interfaces for the lung model. Thank you for presenting your inspiring work Sarah! We wish you well in your VIVA!

Thanks you Tadej for such a great talk!

The semiar took place at Seminario 1, Lascaray, Thursday 04/05/2022 at 12:00

TITLE: SIMPLE platform and beyond

SPEAKER: Tadej KOKALJ, Senior Researcher at the Institute of Metals and Technology – IMT, slovenia

ABSTRACT:

Reliable, autonomous, internally self-powered microfluidic pumps are in critical demand for rapid point-of-care (POC) devices, integrated molecular-diagnostic platforms, and drug delivery systems.  Self-powered Imbibing Microfluidic Pump by Liquid Encapsulation (SIMPLE), will be presented, which is disposable, autonomous, easy to use and fabricate, robust, and cost efficient, as a solution for self-powered microfluidic POC devices. With addition of iSIMPLE (infusion SIMPLE) which allows for creation of overpressure, we have a combination of two pumps which can be applied to perform complex protocols on a disposable, autonomous, cost-effective SIMPLE platform. Different properties and applications of the platform will be discussed. In addition to SIMPLE, some other concepts will be shortly  presented within the field of interes of the presenter such as bioinspired systems for cooling applications and challenges in DNA-data storage and others.

Lourdes and Fernando gave presentations at the 10th Chemical Nanoscience Symposium in Newcastle, CNSN-X.

First, Fernando presented: "Alginates and Magnetic Particles as Unconventional Sensors and Actuators in Microfluidic Devices", later Lourdes presented: "Ultrasensitive Plamonic Sensors with Fiber Optic".

It was a great meeting and an incredible opportunity to expand The Microfluidics Cluster UPV/EHU knowledge, connect with fellow researchers, present our work and explore new research areas.

Thanks Andrew and Eimer for the invitation!

On Friday, May 19, 2023, the Solemn Investiture Ceremony of New Doctors by UPV/EHU was held for those who defended their doctoral theses in 2021 and 2022. The event was presided over by the Rector of the University of the Basque Country, Eva Ferreira García,  at the Mitxelena Auditorium in the Bizkaia Aretoa building in Bilbao

Microfluidics Cluster UPV/EHU New doctors Enrique and Udara assisted to the ceremony.

All of us, the members of DNASurf, gathered in Newcastle on the 15th of May for our final meeting.

This project has been an incredible journey, filled with fruitful collaborations with partners from around the globe.

The Microfluidics Cluster UPV/EH is eagerly looking forward to working with all of you again as we prepare for our next consortium!

The laboratories were in need of a facelift. Finally, we rolled up our sleeves and they have been left spotless.

What a team work!!!

Alba defended her thesis entitled: Microfabricated Tools for Cell Biology Assays: Micropatterned and Microfluidic Biosensors and Optic-fiber Nanoplasmonic Biosensors the 10th of May.

Congratulations for your well deserved: Sobresaliente (Cum Laude)

Congratulations Sandra!! She defended her thesis entitled: Microfluidic Technologies and Sensing Materials for Sample Preparation and Analysis of Biofluids the 5th of May.

Sobresaliente (Cum Laude)... what an achivement!

Last 3rd of May, Yara Alvarez Braña defended her thesis entitled: Universal Modular Architectures for Self-powered Microfluidic Devices Based on Polymeric Micropumps and Plastic Cartridges.

Congratulations!! Sobresaliente (Cum Laude)

¡La ciencia es maravillosa!

Sepideh Izaddoust y Daniel Patko representaron a la Universidad del País Vasco en Science is Wonderful!, feria de la ciencia celebrada en Bruselas el pasado mes de marzo. Esa actividad divulgativa está organizada por Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) para acercar los proyectos científicos financiados por la UE al alumnado más joven y al público en general.

Sepideh y Daniel presentaron el proyecto ‘RhizoSheet’ con experimentos interactivos para que los visitantes comprendieran mejor el lenguaje secreto de las plantas. Al realizar experimentos por su cuenta, los niños y niñas pudieron aprender cómo encapsular sensores en hidrogeles y cómo usar papeles de filtro para llevar muestras a la ubicación deseada.

Daniel Patko se unió al Clúster de Microfluidos de la UPV/EHU como becario Marie Skłodowska-Curie, bajo la supervisión del doctor Fernando Benito López, para desarrollar un novedoso sistema de fluidos basado en papel para investigar las interacciones de los microbios de la raíz.

Sepideh Izaddoust pertenece al grupo de investigación Procesos Catalíticos y Valorización de Residuos (PROCAT-VARES), que trabaja en la propuesta, progreso e innovación de procesos de interés energético y medioambiental.

Congratulations to Jaione and Maite!

Finally our manuscript entitled " Precise Integration of Polymeric Sensing Functional Materials within 3D Printed Microfluidic Devices" by Etxebarria-Elezgarai, J.; Garcia-Hernando, M.; Basabe-Desmonts, L. and Benito-Lopez, F. has been accepted for publication in Chemosensors.

This work presents a new architecture concept for microfluidic devices, which combines the conventional 3D printing fabrication process with the stable and precise integration of polymeric functional materials in small footprints within the microchannels in well-defined locations. The approach solves the assembly errors that normally occur during the integration of functional and/or sensing materials in hybrid microfluidic devices. The method was demonstrated by embedding four pH-sensitive ionogel microstructures along the main microfluidic channel of a complex 3D printed microfluidic device. The results showed that this microfluidic architecture, comprising the internal integration of sensing microstructures of diverse chemical compositions, highly enhanced the adhesion force between the microstructures and the 3D printed microfluidic device that contains them. In addition, the performance of this novel 3D printed pH sensor device was investigated using image analysis of the pH colour variations obtained from photos taken with a conventional camera. The device presented accurate and repetitive pH responses in the 2 to 12 pH range without showing any type of device deterioration or lack of performance over time.

Congratulations to all authors!! Our collaboration with the group of Prof. J. M. D. Coey from the School of Physics, Trinity College in Ireland was finally published in IEEE Magnetics Letters.

This publication is based on a collaboartion between our group and the group from Prof. Coey thanks to the EU project MAMI. Some of the result presented in the manuscript were done on the Secondment placement of Sruthy Poulose, PhD student from Trinity College, in our laboratories.

Last Friday 14th of April, Gema López gave a talk about cancer and her current research in this area at her hometown high school, the IES San Sebastián (Huelva), with the aim of bringing the world of research closer to students in the 2nd year of Secondary School and to motivate them to pursue this career in the future.

This Wednesday, 29th March 2023, all the people who took part in the organisation of the last Zientzia Astea 2022 got together to celebrate it and to talk about the next event.

We are looking forward to participating once again in this important science dissemination event.

If you have not already done so, we encourage you to take part or organise something for the next Zientzia Astea!

Last Wednesday, Gema López and Janire Sáez gave a presentation at the Carmelitas Sagrado Corazón School in Vitoria-Gasteiz. The talk entitled "Decoding the genome of cancer" consisted of an explanation of the role of mutations in the formation of cancer. Later,  students had fun while learning and playing with science.

Sepideh Izaddoust and Daniel Patko were the sole representatives of the University of the Basque Country at the Science is Wonderful! science fair in Brussels. On 16th & 17th of March, more than four thousand young pupils could get real scientific experience. This outreach activity was organised by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA), to bring EU funded science projects closer to the wider public. Sepideh and Daniel presented the RhizoSheet project with interactive experiments to give a better understanding about the secret language of plants for the visitors. Performing experiments on their own, the kids could also learn how to encapsulate sensors in hydrogels and how to use filter papers to deliver samples to a desired location.

#ScienceIsWonderful! Twitter: @PatkoDaniel, @uFluidicsEhu, @MSCActions, Instagram: @european_youth_eu

Congratulations Sandra! Concept thesis ready!

Looking forward to your thesis defense.