FdF Progetto bandiera - Project proposal: Plastic Lab-on-chips for the optical manipUlation of Single-cells - PLUS

Lab-on-chips (LoCs) are microsystems capable of manipulating small amounts of fluids in microfluidic channels. They have a huge application potential, from basic science to chemical synthesis and point of care medical analysis. Polymers are rapidly emerging as the material of choice for LoC production, due to the low substrate cost and ease of processing. Two breakthroughs that could promote LoC diffusion are: (i) a microfabrication technology with low-cost rapid prototyping capabilities; (ii) an integrated on-chip optical detection system. In this project we propose the use of femtosecond lasers and microinjection moulding as a novel highly-flexible microfabrication platform for polymeric LOCs with integrated optical detection, for the realization of low-cost and truly portable biophotonic microsystems. In this project we target the relevant application of LoCs to non-invasive contactless mechanical phenotyping of single cancer cells.