Quentin Jarrell

I work on the engineering components of microfluidic devices used to sequence DNA and RNA. My work ranges from design to fabrication and testing.

The design process involves modelling the device using CAD programs like SolidWorks and AutoCAD. Our facilities can run simulations, using software like COMSOL, to test our designs before fabrication.

To fabricate devices, I select materials to use, then pattern and bond the different layers of the devices. The materials we use include a range of thermoplastic substrates and metal coatings. Typical fabrication techniques include injection molding and hot embossing, while some devices require deposition of metal layers on substrates. The nanofabrication facility at KU houses much of the equipment used for these processes, including a nanoimprinter, a HEX03 hot embosser, and a DC magnetron sputterer, among other pieces of equipment I work with.

For testing, I perform techniques such as resistive pulse sensing to measure the movement of nucleotides through the devices. The equipment I use, a transimpedance amplifier, allows me to measure outputs from many devices at once, increasing the throughput of the systems I work with.

The goal of my work is to improve DNA/RNA sequencing methods by increasing the throughput of such systems. Better DNA/RNA sequencing technologies will improve precision medicine, vaccine development, gene discovery, and disease diagnosis.