|
|
|
|
|
|
| Andrew deMello, Imperial College London |
|
| Andrew deMello has been on the faculty of the Chemistry Department at Imperial College London since 1997 and is currently Professor of Chemical Nanosciences. He obtained his PhD in Molecular Photophysics at Imperial College London in 1995 and subsequently held a Post-Doctoral Fellowship in the Department of Chemistry at the University of California, Berkeley before returning to the UK. Professor deMello's current research programmes are centred on the areas of miniaturized chemical analysis systems and ultra-high sensitivity detection. Generally, studies focus on performing chemistry and biology in nanoliter volumes, high-efficiency manipulation of small liquid samples and investigating novel phenomena on the microscale. He was a member of the Genome Instrumentation Panel, DOE, USA, and is currently a member of the Detection and Decontamination of Chemical & Biological Weapons Working Group of The Royal Society. Professor deMello has given over 80 invited lectures in the USA, Europe and Asia, has published 80 research papers in refereed journals, and co-authored a book. He sits on the Editorial Boards of the Journal of Molecular Diversity, Lab on a Chip, Chemistry World and Imperial College Press. In 2002 he was awarded the SAC Silver Medal by the Royal Society of Chemistry for his contributions to the Analytical Sciences and in 2004 became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry.
|
|
Microfluidic Systems for Controlled Production of Small Molecules and Nanoparticles
Andrew deMello, Department of Chemistry, Imperial College London, Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London, SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
Miniaturization of conventional analytical instrumentation has been one of the dominant themes within the physical and biological sciences during the last decade. In particular, development of the concept of a miniaturized total analysis system (micro-TAS) or 'lab-on-a-chip' has yielded distinct systems for genetic analysis, clinical diagnostics, drug screening, and environmental monitoring [1]. In analogy to microelectronic development the downsizing and integration of chemical processes leads to huge gains in performance, speed, size, throughput, cost and automation.
The development of synthetic chemistry utilizing microfluidic reactors has been of increasing interest in recent years. Miniaturization of reaction systems offers several advantages over the macroscale. These include improved mixing efficiencies and increased thermal transfer, leading to improved reaction selectivities, low sample consumption, and higher sample throughput per unit volume. In a typical microfluidic reactor channel dimensions and achievable flow rates provide for a stable laminar flow environment, and consequently, mixing of reagents is achieved by random molecular diffusion alone (and not by turbulence). Importantly, since diffusion distances are small, rapid diffusional mixing can be achieved on timescales as low as a few microseconds. Furthermore, knowledge of diffusion rates provides accurate information on the degree of mixing and therefore allows a high degree of control over the quantities, location and environment of reagents.
The talk will provide an overview of studies in which we have applied microfluidic reaction technology to solution phase synthesis of small molecules[2], nanoparticles[3] and DNA[4]. Specially, studies will demonstrate how careful control of experimental variables, high mass and thermal transfer rates and intelligent detection protocols can be used to perform rapid and high-efficiency molecular synthesis in continuous flow systems. It is hoped that the case studies presented will provide strong arguments for the use of microfluidic systems in a variety of biological and chemical problems.
References
1 S. C. Jakeway, A. J. deMello, E.L. Russell, Fresenius J Anal Chem., 2000, 366, 525-539
2. C.J. Cullen, R.C.R. Wootton, A.J. deMello, Current Opinions in Drug Discovery & Development, 2004, 7(6), 798-806.
3. J.B. Edel, R. Fortt, J.C. deMello, A.J. deMello, Chem. Commun., 2002, 1136-1137
4. M.U. Kopp, A.J. de Mello, A. Manz, Science, 280, 1046-1048.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
