Por Vania Silverio (INESC Microsistemas e Nanotecnologias, IST).
In this talk, we will explore the ability to manipulate and detect magnetic nanoparticles (MNP) at chip level, and how it is revolutionizing integrated miniaturized laboratories. The choice of magnetoresistive (MR) sensors results from their outstanding achievements in many areas, from reading magnetic bits for information storage (magnetic hard disk recording) to nanoparticle detection in biomedical platforms or neuronal synaptic activity measurements in neurosciences. Irrespective of the application, the integration of MR sensors and MNP offers quantitative and qualitative functionality to biosensing (e.g. comparing to optical or chemical methods). Moreover, magnetic and electromagnetic actuation are becoming extremely attractive components to precisely transport, mix, manipulate, and concentrate (sort, separate, purify, and detect biomolecules) MNP for binding and analysis. The ability to match these distinct technologies is a growing and not much explored route to provide ultra-compact heterogeneous integration of hybrid systems within multifunctional chips. However, the challenges of handling liquids and MNP over a chip combine with those for miniaturization of microelectronics. When these are overcome, the result is an integrated microfluidic system with added capabilities, able to answer to demands in biomedicine and drug delivery.
Short bio: Vania Silverio (PhD in Mechanical Engineering, Tecnico, ULisboa and Licenciatura, 5 years, in Technological Chemistry, FCUL, ULisboa) is Assistant Researcher at INESC Microsistemas e Nanotecnologias (www.inesc-mn.pt), currently involved in scientifically innovative and challenging projects combining nanotechnology with simulation tools for the design, fabrication, integration and test of Microfluidic Platforms, Lab-On-Chip and Organ-on-Chip. For her work, she was nominated as Expert for the definition of Standards and Processes for Microfluidics at ISO/TC48/WG3 and CEN/TC 332/WG7. Silvério combines her research with service providing and advanced training, teaching and theses supervision at Master and PhD level at Instituto Superior Técnico, ULisboa, where she is an Invited Assistant Professor. She is member of the SPF (Portuguese Physical Society), MFA (The Microfluidics Association), EUROoCS (European Organ-on-Chip Society), IEEE Society USA, EPS (European Physical Society), and IOP (Institute of Physics).
