SUMMER RESEARCH TRAINING IN MEMBRANE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 2008 NSF REU SITE PROGRAM at the UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI
The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, College of Engineering is pleased to offer this research project as part of the 2008 summer NSF-REU Site Program through the Department of Pharmacology & Cell Biophysics.  Students interested in this project are encouraged to contact Professor Steckl to discover more about the project, learn what your responsibilities will be during the ten-week research training program.
2008 REU Project #: 08 – 021 Faculty Supervisor: Andrew J. Steckl, Ph.D. Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering Nanoelectronics Laboratory Phone: 513-556-4777 Email: a.steckl@uc.edu Website: www.nanolab.uc.edu/
DNA Transport Dynamics Using Gated Nanoporous Membranes and LiquiFET Microfluidics
General background and significance of the project: Molecular flow in nanoporous membranes can be controlled by an externally applied voltage through a combination of electro-kinetic effects (electro-osmosis and electrophoresis).  Such membranes have been used as molecular filters for polar biopolymers including DNA (see below).  The project will incorporate gated nanoporous membranes in a microfluidic chip, also shown below, which will eventually incorporates liquid field effect transistors (LiquiFETs). To study DNA transport kinetics through the membrane we will use the voltage gating to control the injection of DNA from the sample channel to the separation channel. The gating process will enable control the initiation and duration of DNA insertion into the membrane.  We will use polycarbonate nuclear track etched (PCTE) membranes which are easy to surface-modify, are available in a wide range of nanopore sizes (from ~10 to ~200nm) and varying concentrations. Transport of DNA ladder through nanoporous membrane under electric field gating: l no transport through 10 nm pore membrane; l full transport through 100 nm pore membrane.
Brief description of proposed research and activities for the 10-week REU period: The REU trainee will establish the quantitative temporal dependence of DNA injection as a function of molecular weight. This will be performed on samples that vary membrane parameters: pore diameter, length and concentration; and the applied electric field. The REU Trainee will develop a simple model for DNA transport through membrane based on experimental results.
What the REU Student can gain from participating in this project: The current project will provide the REU student with a unique background in engineering technologies with potential to deliver large bio-molecules with therapeutic potential. The experimental design process will allow REU students to learn and run their own experiments within a ten-week period. Any significant contribution made by the REU student will be acknowledged with the co-authorship on presentations and publications.