A U.S. fluidics center has been awarded $7.2 million for a three-year project to advance science that's key to unlocking a vast array of new technologies.
The University of California-Irvine has created the Micro/Nano Fluidics Fundamentals Focus Center to study the science and technology of preparing and handling small amounts of fluids on microchips.
The center brings together 17 micro- and nano-fluidics professors from 10 U.S. universities representing the disciplines of biomedical, mechanical and electrical engineering, as well as chemistry. The research is expected to apply to areas such as healthcare, electronics and environmental and food monitoring.
"Our goal is to provide an interdisciplinary center that propels the science of microfluidic chip technology, while encouraging industry participation and exploring how to commercialize the technology developed at (the center)," said Abraham Lee, principal investigator and a University of California-Irvine professor of biomedical, mechanical and aerospace engineering.
The new facility is being funded by the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and more than a dozen private sponsors.
Copyright 2007 by United Press International
