Smart Microfluidic with Smart Materials

In this contribution I will present our latest advances on the integration of smart materials in microfluidics in order to provide new functionalities to Point of Need Microfluidic Platforms.[1]

The integration of chemo/biosensors, microactuators and reagents for long term storage in the microchannels of a microfluidic device using smart materials has several technological advantages compared to bench based technology. These are, among others, the reduction of the volume that is needed to monitor certain analytes, the minimisation of cross-contamination from the surrounding environment, the continuous flow operation and the long life storage.[2]

Moreover, the incorporation of stimuli responsive materials in microfluidics is enabling new ways of fluidic control and manipulation that overpasses existing technology, opening new avenues for the commercialisation of these devices.[3]

References

[1] On-demand Generation and Removal of Alginate Biocompatible Microvalves for Flow Control in Microfluidics, J. Saez, J. Etxebarria, M. Antoñana-Diez, F. Benito-Lopez, 2016, Sens. Actuators B, 234, 1-7.

[2] Ionogel-based Nitrate Sensor Device, J. Saez, G. Arana, L. Angel Fernandez-Cuadrado, F. Benito-Lopez, IEEE Sensors 2016, 1-3 (DOI: 10.1109/ICSENS.2016.7808593)

[3] Fluidic Flow Delay by Ionogel Passive Pumps in Microfluidic Paper-Based Analytical Devices, T. Akyazi, J. Saez, J. Elizalde, F. Benito-Lopez, 2016, Sens. Actuators B, 233, 402-408.

BIOGRAPHY

Fernando Benito-Lopez studied chemistry at the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (Spain) and completed his master studies at the Department of Inorganic Chemistry in 2002. He obtained his Ph.D. at the University of Twente, The Netherlands, under the supervision of Prof. David N. Reinhoudt in 2007. He carried out his postdoctoral research in the group of Prof. Dermot Diamond at Dublin City University, Dublin, Ireland. From 2010, he became team leader in polymer microfluidics at CLARITY: Centre for Sensor Web Technology, National Centre for Sensor Research, Dublin City University. He was visiting researcher at the University of California Berkeley, USA, and at the University of Auckland in New Zealand. In 2012 he returned to Spain as senior scientist to CIC microGUNE. From April 2015 he is Ramón and Cajal Fellow at the University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, leader of the AMMa-LOAC group and cofounder of the Microfluidics Cluster UPV/EHU at the same University.

Fernando is member of the RSC, (H-factor 20) and author of 59 publications, 1 book and 3 invited book chapters. He has 46 Peer Reviewed Proceedings Articles, has filled 6 patents and has 3 cover articles. He has more than 140 congress presentations (oral and posters). He has supervised several PhD students, masters and graduated students. He has received several awards (Start Career program from DCU, IRCSET fellowship, Entrepreneur fellowships) and contributed in research projects at national and international level (FP7) as leader, with numerous active industrial partnerships and university collaborations at the moment.