Combining Microfluidics with Molecular Computing for Automated Bio-analysis

Our bodies respond to disease and pathogens by changing the expression levels of many different genes. These changes are currently only measurable using expensive instruments and analyzed using complex software, both of which are often unavailable at low-resource and remote settings. The goal of this project is to establish a novel technology for measuring these multi-gene expression changes and producing a diagnosis, while remaining cheap, portable, and easy-to- use (i.e., automated). We will tackle this challenge by combining three cutting-edge technologies: DNA computing, artificial intelligence, and microfluidics. In DNA computing, molecules of DNA act as physical wires that carry signals and perform calculations. In comparison to electronic computers, such DNA-based computers are much smaller, and can interface directly with patient- derived genetic information without other expensive instruments. In this project, we will use DNA to build an artificial intelligence model, which can perform classification of diseases based on the expression of multiple genes from patient samples. We will further integrate the DNA model into a microfluidic device which will enhance the speed, precision, and throughput of its computation, as well as its ease-of-use through automation.

Faculty Supervisor:

Leo Chou

Student:

Partner:

University of Edinburgh

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Education

University:

University of Toronto

Program: