Difference between revisions of "Team:BostonU HW/Contribution"

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<h2>Microfluidics 101</h2>
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<h1 class="title text-center">Our Contribution</h1>
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<h3>Introduction to Microfluidics | Dinithi</h3>
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In order to effectively use the MARS system, users need to have a fundamental understanding of microfluidics. With this in mind, we created an introduction to microfluidics that teaches users the basics of microfluidics. This educational component of project MARS consists of an introduction to microfluidic chips as well as a guide to the various primitives used in our microfluidic designs.
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Through Project MARS, the BostonU iGEM Hardware Team has provided three key contributions towards increasing ease of accessibility and use of microfluidics in the synthetic biology community.  
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<h3>Video Tutorials | Sarah and Dinithi</h3>
 
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In order to make the microfluidic chips we designed accessible to synthetic biologists we developed four fully-narrated tutorial videos. These videos go step by step through the process of manufacturing, assembling, and testing a microfluidic device. The four videos created teach uses how to mill a microfluidic chip, how to make PDMS, how to assemble a microfluidic chip, and how to clean a microfluidic chip. Each of these videos is accompanied by a detailed written protocol as well.
 
 
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<div class="container"><h2>MARS Repository</h2>
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The MARS repository benefits the greater synthetic biology community through hosting the designs of nine chips that are designed to perform essential synbio procedures. These chips are all fabricated using our rapid prototyping system, and come with full documentation for usage. Chips are separated into three categories, isolation, modification and quantification, which can come together to replicate complex synthetic biology protocols easily on microfluidic devices using a standardised fabrication method. This provides a highly accessible and relevant platform for synthetic biologists to access, fabricate, test and integrate microfluidics into their lab workflow. <br><br>
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While these microfluidic devices have only been tested with colored water and oil, they provide a framework that can be built upon by future iGEM teams to allow for biological testing and optimization.
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<h2>Mars Repository</h2>
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<h2>Fluid Functionality</h2>
 
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In order to make microfluidics a practical field for synthetic biologists, we created the MARS microfluidic chip repository. This repository hosts nine microfluidic chips that each perform a fundamental synthetic biological protocol. These nine protocols were determined after reaching out to synthetic biologists in the Boston University and iGEM communities. Each chip comes with all the required design files and documentation so that a synthetic biologist could download, manufacture, and test any chip in the repository. The nine chips in the MARS repository are as follows:
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Our fluid functionality checklist allows synthetic biologists to grade microfluidic devices fabricated from the MARS archive or designed using our software workflow. Through creating and introducing a standardised method of analysing device functionality, synthetic biologists interested in utilizing microfluidics can quantitatively and qualitatively rate their chips prior to utilising them in laboratory procedures.  
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<div class="container" ><h2>Microfluidics 101</h2>
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<h3>Cellular Lysis | Dylan</h3>
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In order to overcome the knowledge barrier that exists between synthetic biology and microfluidics, MARS hosts a variety of educational materials aimed at synbio researchers interested in using our workflow.  
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Microfluidics 101 focuses on providing easy to access, clear and relevant material regarding our continuous flow microfluidics devices. We have also included detailed video tutorials and written protocols outlining how to fabricate using Makerfluidics. <br><br><br>All three components of MARS come together to help make microfluidics a more accessible and practical tool for synthetic biology labs. </div>
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<h3>DNA Digestion | Dinithi</h3>
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<h3>Cell Sorting | Dinithi</h3>
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<h3>Ligation | Sarah</h3>
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<h3>Fluorescence Testing | Dinithi</h3>
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For more information regarding each chip, please see our <a href="https://2017.igem.org/Team:BostonU_HW/Archive">MARS repository page</a>
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<h2>Fluid Functionality</h2>
 
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In order to verify whether or not a microfluidic device is functional, a grading system was developed: the Fluid Functionality Checklist. This fluid functionality system was broken up into two portions: a qualitative checklist and a quantitative analysis.
 
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<h3>Qualitative Checklist | Dylan, Sarah, and Dinithi</h3>
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The qualitative portion of the fluid functionality checklist consists of various failure modes. These are visual cues that something has gone wrong while running a chip, such as liquid leaking out of a channel or primitive. If a chip passes each of these qualitative checks, it is deemed “fluid functional.” If a chip does not pass each of these qualitative checks, the user moves to the quantitative analysis to determine why the chip failed.
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<h3>Quantitative Analysis | Dylan and Sarah</h3>
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The quantitative portion of the fluid functionality checklist consists of various quantitative analyses. Two forms of analysis are included in this portion of our evaluation system: physics-based primitive analysis and image processing-based analysis. Physics based analysis helps to determine if a qualitative failure occurred because the incorrect primitive dimensions and/or flow rate were used. Image processing analysis is used to evaluate the functionality of primitives such as mixers. Using these analyses, a user can both determine why their chip failed and evaluate the functionality of key primitives.
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Revision as of 22:56, 30 October 2017

BostonU_HW

Attributions

Our Contribution

Through Project MARS, the BostonU iGEM Hardware Team has provided three key contributions towards increasing ease of accessibility and use of microfluidics in the synthetic biology community.

MARS Repository

The MARS repository benefits the greater synthetic biology community through hosting the designs of nine chips that are designed to perform essential synbio procedures. These chips are all fabricated using our rapid prototyping system, and come with full documentation for usage. Chips are separated into three categories, isolation, modification and quantification, which can come together to replicate complex synthetic biology protocols easily on microfluidic devices using a standardised fabrication method. This provides a highly accessible and relevant platform for synthetic biologists to access, fabricate, test and integrate microfluidics into their lab workflow.

While these microfluidic devices have only been tested with colored water and oil, they provide a framework that can be built upon by future iGEM teams to allow for biological testing and optimization.

Fluid Functionality

Our fluid functionality checklist allows synthetic biologists to grade microfluidic devices fabricated from the MARS archive or designed using our software workflow. Through creating and introducing a standardised method of analysing device functionality, synthetic biologists interested in utilizing microfluidics can quantitatively and qualitatively rate their chips prior to utilising them in laboratory procedures.

Microfluidics 101

In order to overcome the knowledge barrier that exists between synthetic biology and microfluidics, MARS hosts a variety of educational materials aimed at synbio researchers interested in using our workflow. Microfluidics 101 focuses on providing easy to access, clear and relevant material regarding our continuous flow microfluidics devices. We have also included detailed video tutorials and written protocols outlining how to fabricate using Makerfluidics.


All three components of MARS come together to help make microfluidics a more accessible and practical tool for synthetic biology labs.