Ugaz, Victor Professor

I am the world's smallest plumber--my research involves manipulating fluid flow in tiny channels the size of a human hair. Harnessing microfluidic phenomena makes it possible to build pocket-sized systems that can perform sophisticated chemical and biochemical tests outside the confines of a conventional lab. But achieving precise control over the flow of liquids at these small size scales is extremely challenging. Therefore, we are working to understand fundamental transport phenomena in microfluidic systems, and how they can be exploited to enable innovative applications including:



Fast and inexpensive diagnosis of infection and disease.



Sensitive screening for early detection of cancer.



Biodegradable sponges for easy cleanup of oil spills.



Spontaneous organization of chemical building blocks to form long-chain molecules--a key unanswered question in the origin of life.