MEMS Device Development and Metrologies

We design piezoresistive devices for small force and displacement sensing, some with integral piezoelectric actuation, and electrostatic devices for use in aqueous media. Our MEMS devices address a range of applications from small scale biomechanics to cantilevers for chemical sensing, cantilevers for force sensing, and floating element sensors for underwater shear stress measurements.

Understanding the Sense of Touch

We are using our MEMS devices in feedback control systems to study touch sensation in C. elegans, to develop even smaller devices and techniques to study touch sensation at the single cell scale, and to advance our understanding of C. elegans body mechanics. We work with the Goodman Lab in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology to study both the mechanics and behavior of touch sensation in this tiny nematode.

Advanced Cell and Tissue Culture Systems to Study Mechanobiology

We seek to understand the role of the mechanical environment in cell morphology, differentiation, and function. We are developing unique cell culture systems which allow forces to be applied to cells and to measure the forces generated by cells. We apply custom MEMS devices designed for use in biological media for quantitative biological assays. We utilize culture systems coupled with scaled mechanical testing methods for testing single, few, and populations of cells as appropriate. Ultimately, these systems may be applied with pluripotent cells to engineer new tissues or create artificial tissues for patient specific drug-testing platforms.