Microfluidic Systems for Environmental Monitoring

Prof. Vincent Sieben
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

In the last three years, the Sieben laboratory at Dalhousie University has developed lab-on-chip systems for monitoring nutrients and environmental DNA.  This talk will focus on our innovative inlaid material approach to building microfluidic devices and how it can be applied to sensing nitrate and phosphate.  The underpinning research and knowledge presented will be mobilized with industrial partners to deliver 15 phosphate lab-on-chip sensors and 10 eDNA samplers for 2023.  This represents one of the largest planned lab-on-chip deployments in the marine sector to date.

Dr. Sieben received his doctorate from the University of Alberta in 2009.  From 2009 to 2011, he conducted pioneering research on the first lab-on-a-chip nutrient and microbiology sensors for the deep ocean at the National Oceanography Center in Southampton, UK.  For the next 7 years, Dr. Sieben worked with a talented team on the first commercialization of a lab-on-chip sensor in the oil and gas industry: Schlumberger's Maze™ SARA analysis.  He has actively published in the areas of microfabrication, lab-on-a-chip, optics, and in situ sensors for environmental monitoring, authoring 28 peer-reviewed journal publications, 36 conference publications, 12 granted patents, a book chapter and an ASTM standard.  Dr. Sieben started a research group at Dalhousie University 3 years ago that is focusing on lab-on-chip systems for marine environments.