Description
DNA analysis, such as gene expression and infectious and genetic disease and cancer diagnostics, is a growing field in the biotechnology industry. The DNA microarray chip is an effective and fast way of detecting the presence of pathogens in a human liquid sample. The chip is composed of a 10x10 array of electrodes connected by traces to a voltage source. Electric fields induced among the electrodes propel the histidine-suspended DNA to quickly migrate to and aggregate around an array of electrodes to hybridize, or bind, with their complementary strands. In these experiments, DNA molecules are substituted with negatively-charge microspheres. The purpose of this study is to establish a method for measuring the velocity flow fields of DNA-representative microspheres within the electric fields to characterize the system performance. This will be accomplished by miniaturizing a particle image velocimetry (PIV) technique to the microfluidics technology. The PIV system will measure the velocity of the microspheres by measuring the distance traveled in a given amount of time. The flow of the microspheres has already been imaged and modeled using both experimental and finite element analysis methods. For the first time, the _PIV technique will determine experimental velocities of charged particles in a microarray technology. This information will enable future research to compare various designs of the microarray to determine the most optimal device.
