Microfluidics for Synchrotron to unlock structural changes in biomolecules

This is a project in close partnership with Diamond, the UK's national synchrotron science facility, to develop microfluidic tools for use on high energy beams used to probe material characteristics.

The programme of work will focus on developing 'fluidic environments' where the material of interest is contained within a fluid and a controlled disturbance can be applied, which causes a material response. A real-world example we will use here are nanoparticles that respond to the pH of the external environment. pH is a biologically relevant trigger as there are pH gradients throughout the body (e.g. around cancer tumours) that could be used to release a drug.

A more detailed understanding of the changes to the nanoparticles supports rational design. The work will consider the design construction and commissioning of equipment including exploring material response.

Fluid mechanics is central to this project. The use of computational fluid dynamic simulations coupled with practical design of fluid chips will ensure the fluidic environments are well characterised allowing the history of the conditions that the fluid encounters to be tracked - thus ensuring the link between fluidic environment and material response to be fully established.