(4cg) Electrokinetics for Analysis and Manipulation of Biological Systems

Electrokinetics for Analysis and
Manipulation of Biological Systems

Lewis A. Marshall

Stanford University

Stanford, CA 94305, USA

Electrokinetics effects, effects caused by the movement
of ions under electric field, play an important role in biological systems. On
the level of individual molecules, electrostatic attraction, repulsion, and
shielding can dramatically influence binding between biomolecules. On the cellular
level, selective ion transport can create potential gradients that affect cell
behavior. At the scale of an individual organism, neurons achieve synchronized
control of cells throughout the body by relaying electrochemical signals, and
some organisms, such as sharks, can even sense the electric fields around them
to navigate the world.

My most recent
research activity has been in the area of sample preparation of nucleic acids
using isotachophoresis, an electrophoretic technique
in which shockwaves focus ions into highly concentrated zones. I have used this
electrokinetic technique, in combination with control of sample chemistry, to
selectively purify nucleic acids from highly complex samples, including whole
human blood. At the same time, I have worked to design better devices to
perform this technique by drawing on knowledge of capillarity and microfluidics.

I would like to
develop a research program to bring a deep knowledge of electrokinetic
phenomena to the study of living biological systems. By using an electrokinetic
framework to the study of cell biology and by building microfluidic platforms
for cell analysis and manipulation, I hope to bring together a research team that
can contribute to our understanding of the basic physiology of neurons and
other electrically active cells. Ultimately, I hope to contribute to the technological
development of neural interfaces for control of computers and prosthetic
devices, which rely on constructing a deep understanding the information that
we can receive from electrically active cells.