Reza Ghodssi invited speaker at MNE 2012 in Toulouse, France

ISR Director Reza Ghodssi (ECE/ISR) was an invited speaker at the 38th International Conference on Micro and Nano Engineering (MNE 2012) in Toulouse, France, Sept. 16–20.

Ghodssi spoke on “Biofabrication: An Integrative Processing Tool for Micro/Nano/Bio Systems.”

Recently, emphasis has been placed on integrating biological, physical, chemical and engineering sciences in a variety of interdisciplinary applications. Integrating biomaterials in micro/nano systems is one such example. Thanks to evolution, the diverse advantages provided by biomaterials range from high specificity and sensitivity to unique structure and synthesis. These qualities enhance the material library for integrated systems. Ghodssi’s team uses the biomaterials chitosan and the Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) as biotemplated materials for microsystems. Chitosan is used as an interface between microsystems and biological elements, enabling biofunctionalization of microfabricated devices. The TMV, which is compatible with fabrication techniques, allows for nanostructuring a multitude of device surfaces, providing high surface area and binding sites. Ghodssi’s presentation summarized his research group’s work on these two platforms and gave a general overview of the role of biomaterials in microsystem development.

Published September 28, 2012