Microfluidic Compartmentalization Workshop (OIST)

Fundamentals and Applications of

Microfluidic Compartmentalization

Technical Program: June 13--16, 2017

OIST, Okinawa, Japan

 

The ability to break up a larger liquid volume into an array of smaller confined volumes that do not chemically communicate is a key enabling technology driving microfluidic innovations. Microfluidics offers a perfect platform to couple spatial confinement with flow to manipulate intermolecular interactions and reaction kinetics of various fluidic systems. Confinement for example allows analysis of single- entities such as single-molecules or single-cells in a massively parallel fashion. This "digitalization" of a sample enables a variety of new molecular assays including digital versions of polymerase chain reaction or other nucleic acid amplification strategies as well as immunoassays. Further, compartmentalization of single-cells enables analysis of single-cell secretions, transcription profiles, and protein expression profiles, opening up new investigations into the heterogeneity at the single-cell level. A variety of microfluidic approaches have been developed to achieve compartmentalization and perform parallel and high-throughput analyses on these single-entities. Both the enabling approaches and applications will be the focus of the proposed workshop.

This workshop aims to provide a singular opportunity for the most prominent researchers in microfluidics to: (a) discuss the most recent development and new aspects of microfluidic compartmentalization research that covers droplet microfluidics, electrowetting, digital PCR, digital ELISA, and microvalves; (b) participate in a panel discussion on the challenges, opportunities, and barriers to R&D effort in microfluidic compartmentalization area; (c) build synergy and initiate collaborations between OIST and world experts; (d) showcase interdisciplinary research activities of OIST, and target potential postdoc and graduate student recruitments. These goals will be accomplished through 4 days of talks and informal discussions.

Organizers

Keynote Speakers

Contributed Talks & Poster Session

In addition to the invited talks, the workshop will also showcase a select number of contributed talks and posters from researchers in the early stages of their career – graduate students to postdocs to assistant professors, as part of the main program. Scientists from Japan as well as abroad are encouraged to apply. For the selected abstracts, the workshop will provide economy class, round trip flights from their home institution, accommodation and meals during the period of the conference. Interested researchers are encouraged to apply by submitting an extended CV (limited to three pages) and a one-page abstract to amy.shen@oist.jp

OIST is committed to the advancement of women in science, in Japan and worldwide, and encourages them to apply.

Access Information

Directions for accessing the campus and a map of the area are available here.

Sponsor or Contacts

Jointly-organized: OIST (Micro/Bio/Nanofluidics Unit (Amy Shen, Professor)) , Institute of Microchemical Technology Co., Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., On-chip Biotechnologies. Co., Ltd., Seika Digital Image Corporation, Sysmex Co., Ltd.

Program

Public program is available at the following link:

/sites/default/files/imce/u100521/Technical_Program_Public_20170525.pdf

Transportation schedule during the workshop

/sites/default/files/imce/u100521/Transportation2.pdf

Page last updated on May 19 2017.