Lecture: Droplet-based Optofluidics 

Lecturer: Associate Prof. Abdel I. El Abed, Quantum and Molecular Photonics Laboratory, Paris Saclay University, France 

Time: 2:00 pm, Jul 31, 2015 

Location: Meeting Room 211 of Administration Building 

Introduction of Lecturer 

Dr. Abdel El Abed received his MSc degrees in Polymer and Interface Science from Montpellier University (France) in 1987, and a PhD degree in Physics and Biophysics from Paris Descartes University in 1992. He was awarded, one year later, a permanent position as an assistant Professor and his first research works were related to the study of Langmuir films of Liquid-Crystals and biomolecules, and later to the imaging of neuronal receptors using confocal microscopy and functionalized quantum dots. In 2009, he began to develop research topics at the biology-physics interface droplet-based microfluidics approaches for studying different biomedical topics including tePCR (emulsion-based PCR) In 2013, Dr. El Abed moved to the Quantum and Molecular Photonics Laboratory at the Ecole Normale Supérieure Cachan to develop in collaboration with Prof. Joseph Zyss, at the Nonlinear Nano-Photonics and Bio-Photonics group, a research dedicated to nonlinear optics and biosensing applications based on the combination of droplet-based microfluidics and nano-photonics. 

Lecture Abstract 

Droplet-based microfluidics technology allows for the production and manipulation of highly monodisperse microdroplets of fluids, with a high degree of control and reproducibility. Droplet-based optofluidics aims at manipulating light and confined fluids in such micro-droplets and exploiting their interaction to create "digital" micro-systems with highly significant scientific and technological interests in many areas. Three applications will be presented:

(1) Highly sensitive and quantitative detection of DNA and proteins fluorescent biomarkers; 

(2) Formation and control of monodisperse LCs droplets driven by an alternating current electric field; 

(3) Optical micro-resonators.