During May, I have been primarily working on fixing some of the issues that we previously encountered with our current way of developing chips. As we continue to work on the development of 3-D printed chips, the improvement of our current photolithography-based devices has become a priority. The current issues we have encountered are mainly due to leakage when experiments are being run. In Figure 1, this is exemplified, where we can see some of the fluid leaking as the experiment is running. As the chips are being developed, holes are punched at the inlet and outlets, and this can sometimes lead to the fluid leaking out. In order to circumvent this issue, we bought biopsy punches, a tool that allowed me to punch the holes more accurately. With this addition, and some more experimentation, I was able to run experiments with no leakage whatsoever. Figure 2 shows a picture of the experiment running with no fluid leakage.
Another hurdle I have encountered so far is dealing with the chemicals required to smoothen the surface of the 3-D printed mold. One of the chemicals I am using turned out to be exponentially more dangerous than initially thought, so working toward understanding how to use it or researching a different alternative. I went through several articles before finding one that would be easier and safer to handle. I have been able to progress on the protocol for the coating of the 3-D printed chips, primarily setting up a sonicator and running some tests with it.
Additionally, all of the extra research has greatly improved my understanding of the protocol. Something positive I have discovered is how much of a difference being able to dedicate all of my time and effort to a project compares to balancing the student life with the research life. I have noticed that my way of approaching problems has changed because now I have the time to try all the different possibilities I have in mind and actually seeing them develop. This contrasts my approach when also having to worry about school, where I feel like I have to make practical decisions that allow me to see some results while leaving the rest as a possibility inside of my head.
Finally, I have also been working on writing an IRB protocol to be able to extract blood ourselves and use it for the experiments, instead or feeling on outside blood sourcing. While extremely challenging, being able to develop my writing skills and research skills has also been a nice change of pace. I have been able to do more tests and run more experiments that have ultimately led me to fixing problems quicker and more efficiently. This month has been overall really helpful, and I hope to continue building on top of everything I have done so far to continue working toward my goal.
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