The research in my group focuses on the chemical and physical basis of migration mechanisms for biopolymers and colloids as model systems. Tailored micro- and nanofluidic devices are developed wherein migration processes of biomolecules (e.g. DNA, proteins) are studied by optical single molecule as well as ensemble techniques. A second focus lies on the development of micro- and nanofluidic devices as platforms for novel single cell analysis tools. The ultimate goal consists in elucidating novel bioanalytical and biotechnological tools as well as efficient lab-on-a-chip systems for proteom research and systems nanobiology.

Migration mechanisms of biomolecules are studied via fluorescence video microscopy with subsequent particle tracking and on-chip separation experiments. A major interest lies in the dielectrophoretic behaviour of biomolecules which can be advantageously used in separation experiments. A very important part of our work is dedicated to adequate surface design, providing not only for the control of electrokinetic properties in the micro-and nanodevices but also as an additional design tool for novel migration mechanisms. Soft lithography serves as a primary fabrication method for tailored microdevices, whereas other appropriate micro- and nanofabrication methods find application for specific structuring problems. Our single cell studies focus on biologically relevant questions in organisms such as insect cells and bacteria. Single cell manipulation is developed for reproducible and parallel cell positioning. Our work also includes the integration of ultra sensitive detection methods in the microfluidic chip such as laser induced fluorescence as well as off-chip coupling to sensitive state of the art detection methods.