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AS2M : Closed-loop trajectory control using dielectrophoresis and impedance measurements
AS2M : Microrobot based on elastocapilarity logic toward single cell manipulations
Context
The FEMTO-ST research institute (CNRS) innovates in cutting-edge technological solutions for the manufacture of biomedicines (drugs whose active ingredient is of biological origin), calling on a multidisciplinary team with skills in robotics, automation, computing, microuidics, microsystems and clean-room manufacturing. We're looking for curious people with a good scientic background wanting to thrive in the world of research and innovation.
Description du poste
Being able to combine a large number of programmable microrobots on a fluidic chip could have a tremendous impact for cell manipulation. Indeed thousands of parallel microrobot working together and capable of grabbing, injecting and isolating individual cells could considerably speed up innovative therapy which needs to deal with millions of cells in a relative short time. Unfortunately current microrobot relies on large external system for localisation, computing
and actuation. This drastically limit the maximal number that can be put inside microuidic chip to typically 2 or 3. This postdoc aim to solve this problem by embedding sensing and programmability inside the microuidic chip on a micrometer footprint. By doing so, a large number of small autonomous microrobots (only connected to a power line) could be directly made inside a microuidic chip. To do so, our chosen approach is to use microhydraulic. Indeed actuator 100 µm piston has been demonstrated to be particularly powerful and compact[1]. However amplifying and perform logical 1 function with a pressure signal is to remain a decisive challenge at this scale [2]. The postdoc goal will be to demonstrate that elastocapillary eect can be used to build a hydraulic pressure transistor capable of amplication and computing. Elastocapillaritty refer to all the phenomena were surface tension force - arising at uid interace - interact with an elastic solid. Such eects become predominant at small scales and are naturally non-linear with high hysteresis which makes them particularly t for amplifying a signal.
Tasks
The hired posted will realise the following tasks
• Review the dierent elastocapilarity scenario possible to use to amplify a uid pressure signal.
• Design and characterise a pressure transistor based on elastocapilarity.
• Demonstrate the rst microrobot on a fluid chip with pre-program autonomous behaviour.
Each of the following step would lead to a publication.
Skills
The potential candidates should hold a PhD in one of the following topics (with no preferences) :
robotics, physics, microfluidics or control. They also should have some experience in experimental science.
The following skills is not mandatory but would be an asses to the applicants:
• Experience with surface tension.
• Clean room fabrication
• FEM simulation, in particular fluids mechanics
bioimp.recrutement@femto-st.fr
