Research Areas (2009-2020)

For last decade (2009-2020)

Micro-/Nanofluidics: Small Chip but Big World!

Microfluidics and Nanofluidics (MNF) deal with fluid mechanics and mass transport phenomena at micro-/nanoscale. Unlike classical fluid mechanics and heat and mass transfer, the MNF are a multi-disciplinary field including engineering, physics, chemistry, biochemistry, and biotechnology and show a variety of novel applications.

M. Kim and T. Kim*, Diffusion-based and long-range concentration gradients of multi-chemicals for bacterial chemotaxis assays, Anal. Chem., 82(22), pp. 9401-9409, 2010.
Minseok Kim†, Ji Won Lim†, Hyun Ju Kim, Sung Kuk Lee, Sang Jun Lee*, and Taesung Kim*, Chemostat-like Microfluidic Platform for Highly Sensitive Detection of Heavy Metal Ions Using Microbial, Biosensors and Bioelectronics, 2015, 65(15), 257-264.
Seongyong Park, Dasol Kim, Robert J. Mitchell, and Taesung Kim*, A Microfluidic Concentrator Array for Quantitative Predaton Assays of Predatory Microbes, Lab-on-a-chip, 2011.

Nano-scale patterns can be simultaneously produced with micro-scale patterns by using only the standard photolithography, showing a wide variety of micro-/nanofluidic applications. It is called "Crack-photolithography".

Minseok Kim, Dogyeong Ha, and Taesung Kim*, Cracking-assisted photolithography for mixed-scale patterning and nanofluidic applications, Nature Communications, 6, Article No. 6247, 2015.

COMSOL Multiphysics Simulation visualizes the pre-concentration of target biomolecules at the anodic side (left) of the nanoporous, perm-selective memebrane patterned on the microchannel surface. This simulation deals with Navier-stokes's equation, Poisson's equation, and Nerst-Planct equation at the same time. It is called electrokinetics, showing remarkable potential for bio-sensor applications. The following simulation results show ion concentration polarization phenomena and nonlinear electroosmotic flow (the 2nd kind EOF flow).

Minseok Kim, Mingjie Jia and Taesung Kim*, Ion Concentration Polarization in A Single and Open Microchannel Induced by A Surface-patterned Perm-selective Film, Analyst, 2013, 138(5), 1370-1378.
Mingjie Jia and Taesung Kim*, Multiphysics Simulation of Ion Concentration Polarization Induced By Nanoporous Membranes in Dual Channel Devices, Anal. Chem., 2014, 86(15), 7360−7367.
Mingjie Jia and Taesung Kim*, Multi-physics Simulation of Ion Concentration Polarization Induced by A Surface-patterned Nanoporous Membrane in Single Channel Devices, Anal. Chem., 2014, 86(20), 10365–10372.

Micro-/nanofluidic devices can be automatically operated with the aid of LabVIEW and electric circuits (controller).

Jae Myung Lee, Jun Hyeong Lee, Taesung Kim* and Sung Kuk Lee*, Light-switchable gene expression system in Escherichia coli, PLOS One, 2013, 8(1): e52382.
Younkwang Nam, Minseok Kim and Taesung Kim*, Pneumatically Controlled Multi-level Microchannel for Separation and Extraction of Microparticles, Sensors and Actuators: B-Chemicals, 2014, 190, 86-92. PDF (IF = 3.840)

Inkjet-printing technology is employed to produce live cell patterns for high-throughput screening of small mutant libraries and nano-gratings for anti-counterfeit applications.

[Materials Printer]

Woon Sun Choi, Dokyeong Ha, Seongyong Park, and Taesung Kim*, Synthetic Multi-cellular Cell-to-Cell Communication in Inkjet Printed Bacterial Cell Systems, Biomaterials, 2011, 32 2500-2Hyunmoon Nam†, Kyungjun Song†, Dogyeong Ha and Taesung Kim*, Mono-layered Photonic Crystal Patterning for Anti-counterfeit Applications of Structural Colors, Scientific Reports, 2016, 6, Article number: 30885.

Woon Sun Choi, Dokyeong Ha, Seongyong Park, and Taesung Kim*, Synthetic Multi-cellular Cell-to-Cell Communication in Inkjet Printed Bacterial Cell Systems, Biomaterials, 2011, 32 2500-2507.
Woon Sun Choi, Minseok Kim, Seongyong Park, Sung Kuk Lee and Taesung Kim*, Patterning and Transferring Hydrogel-Encapsulated Bacterial Cells for Quantitative Analysis of Synthetically Engineered Genetic Circuits, Biomaterials, 2012, 33(2), 624-633. PDF

[Printing of Nanoparticle Suspension: mono-layered self-assembled nanoparticles]

Hyunmoon Nam†, Kyungjun Song†, Dogyeong Ha and Taesung Kim*, Mono-layered Photonic Crystal Patterning for Anti-counterfeit Applications of Structural Colors, Scientific Reports, 2016, 6, Article number: 30885.