Dorian Liepmann (Advisor)

Recent advances in micro/nano- technologies have shown high potentials in the field of quantitative biology, biomedical science, and analytical chemistry. However, micro/nano fluidics still requires multi-layered structures, complex plumbing/tubing, and external equipments for large-scale applications and nanotechnology-based sensors demand high cost. Interestingly, nature has much simpler and more effective solutions. The goal of this dissertation is to develop novel microfluidic platforms and nanobiosensors inspired by biological systems.

In this dissertation, I...

Substrate-based biophysical cues, which interact with cells through mechanotransductive pathways, influence many biological processes and cellular behaviors. By leveraging microfabrication techniques, this work aims to build biophysical stimuli into cellular substrates through discrete microtopographic features to study cellular responses. Here, uniform and gradient arrays of circular microposts have been geometrically tuned to change the apparent rigidity of a substrate and the placement of available cellular attachment sites. Three areas of cellular interaction with these micropost...

With the rising demands for small, lightweight, and long-lasting portable electronics, the need for energy storage devices with both large power and large eneergy densities become vitally important. From their usage in hybrid electric vehicles to wearable electronics, supercapacitors, and rechargeable batteries have been the focus of many previous works. Electrode materials with large specific surface areas can enhance the charning speed and total amount of stored energy. To this end, vertically self-aligned conductivities as well as high mechanical stregth and large specific surface areas...