biology
Electric-Field Tissue Dissociation
A method pioneered in our lab, electric-field dissociation uses tunable oscillating fields to disrupt cell–cell and cell–matrix junctions without enzymes, releasing high-yield, viable single-cell suspensions in minutes. By avoiding enzymatic digestion and harsh mechanical handling, it preserves native transcriptomic states far better than conventional protocols — making dissociation quality the foundation for trustworthy single-cell and multi-omic data.
- Oscillating electric fields
- Enzyme-free protocols
- Single-cell suspensions
- Viability preservation
innovation
Lab Automation & Instrumentation
Fully automated sample preparation still stalls wherever a human has to move a tube — most stubbornly at the centrifuge. We are designing a compact, plug-and-play centrifuge that integrates directly with any liquid handler, alongside automation platforms that consolidate multi-step molecular protocols into reliable, hands-off pipelines. The goal is instrumentation that makes complex workflows reproducible and walk-away.
- Mechanical design
- Liquid-handler integration
- Workflow automation
- Microfluidic devices
biology
Single-Cell & Multi-Omic Assays
We build automated pipelines that carry cells from suspension to sequencing-ready DNA and RNA libraries, then interrogate them across flow cytometry, bulk and single-cell sequencing, and spatial transcriptomics. Because every upstream step alters the readout, a central question is how dissociation and library preparation affect cell viability, population representation, and gene-expression fidelity.
- NGS library prep
- Flow cytometry
- Single-cell analysis
- Spatial transcriptomics
biology
Organoid & 3D Culture Development
Building on advances in 3D culture, we develop reproducible spheroid and organoid models that capture tissue architecture, disease progression, and therapeutic response. Current efforts include endometrial organoids in collaboration with Brown's Desai Lab, plus impedance-based methods to monitor spheroid growth and dissociation — giving us physiologically faithful models that complement our single-cell work.
- 3D culture systems
- Spheroid formation
- Organoid models
- Impedance monitoring
microfluidics
mRNA Vaccines & Lipid Nanoparticles
Using microfluidic electrophoresis and dual dynamic-dye staining, we detect and relatively quantify the residual dsRNA impurities that compromise mRNA vaccines, and we characterize the mRNA- and pDNA-loaded lipid nanoparticles that deliver them. These rapid, low-volume readouts target the critical quality attributes that determine the safety and potency of next-generation RNA medicines.
- Microfluidic electrophoresis
- dsRNA impurity detection
- Lipid-nanoparticle characterization
- Dual dynamic-dye staining
microfluidics
AAV & Gene-Therapy Characterization
Adeno-associated virus is a leading gene-therapy vector, but its potency depends on the fraction of capsids actually carrying genetic cargo. Our microfluidic electrophoresis platforms distinguish full from empty AAV capsids and quantify serotype- and treatment-dependent variability, providing fast, sample-sparing analytics for gene-therapy process development and release testing.
- AAV capsid analysis
- Full/empty ratio
- Serotype profiling
- Process analytics
innovation
Point-of-Care Diagnostics
We design diagnostic workflows that run with little more than a chip and a heat source, so testing can happen at the point of need. Recent work spans electrokinetic DNA and RNA extraction from dried blood spots, capillary-flow plasma separation, and direct RT-PCR detection of SARS-CoV-2 and HIV-1 from patient samples — collapsing multi-step lab protocols into field-deployable assays.
- Dried-blood-spot extraction
- Capillary-flow microfluidics
- Direct RT-PCR
- Field-deployable assays
microfluidics
Liquid Biopsy & Cell-Free DNA
Cell-free DNA circulating in plasma carries clinically rich signals, but it is scarce and fragmented. We build high-purity microfluidic platforms that extract cfDNA and separate it by size and sequence, supporting non-invasive prenatal testing, aneuploidy detection, and other liquid-biopsy applications where sample integrity and fragment selection determine the result.
- cfDNA extraction
- Size-based separation
- Non-invasive prenatal testing
- Aneuploidy detection
