I-LIFT (image-based laser-induced forward transfer) has the potential to retrieve microparticles, cells, bacteria, and other biological entities, leading to new developments in biomedicine.
MELVILLE, N.Y., May 31, 2023 – Biomicrofluidics, a publication of AIP Publishing, is pleased to announce Sumin Lee as the winner of the journal’s 2022 Best Paper award. An expert panel of judges selected Lee for her significant contribution as an emerging author in microfluidics and nanofluidics.
In the winning paper, “I-LIFT (image-based laser-induced forward transfer) platform for manipulating encoded microparticles,” Lee and colleagues Wooseok Lee, Amos Chungwon Lee, Juhong Nam, JinYoung Lee, Hamin Kim, Yunjin Jeong, Huiran Yeom, Namphil Kim, Seo Woo Song, and Sunghoon Kwon introduced a groundbreaking platform that allows for precise manipulation of microparticles using laser-induced forward transfer.
“The main takeaway is that at the micro- and nanoscale, lasers can function as tweezers to handle biospecimens,” said Lee. “The core technology has the potential to be applied in various contexts, such as retrieving microparticles, cells, bacteria, and other biological entities, opening up new possibilities in the realm of biomedical research.”
As the infrared pulse laser is directed to the discharging layer, thermal energy is converted into mechanical energy. This energy propels the region containing barcoded beads downward. Consequently, the technique can identify, retrieve, sort, and index the beads at the microscale.
“Bead-based assays are anticipated to play a significant role in enabling point-of-care medical diagnostic devices for the detection of a wide range of diseases,” said Biomicrofluidics Editor-in-Chief Leslie Yeo. “The ability to selectively isolate and manipulate single beads for downstream analysis is therefore crucial, although this remains one of the key bottlenecks in these platforms. The work demonstrated in this paper goes some way in addressing this problem.”
Lee obtained her undergraduate and doctorate degrees in Electrical and Computer Engineering at Seoul National University, where she focused on microparticles, 4D printing, microrobots, and bioengineering. She is a co-founder and the current Chief Technology Officer of Meteor Biotech, Co. Ltd., a company dedicated to developing breakthroughs in diagnostics and therapeutics through innovative technologies using the laser-activated cell sorter.
“Receiving this prestigious award is a great honor and an affirmation of my dedication to translational medicine,” said Lee. “It highlights the significance of our work and motivates me to continue pushing the boundaries of research to bring practical solutions to the medical community.”
Going forward, Lee plans to broaden the range of applications for the I-LIFT platform while also investigating new technologies that can contribute to advancements in diagnostics and therapeutics.
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The article “I-LIFT (image-based laser-induced forward transfer) platform for manipulating encoded microparticles” is authored Sumin Lee, Wooseok Lee, Amos Chungwon Lee, Juhong Nam, JinYoung Lee, Hamin Kim, Yunjin Jeong, Huiran Yeom, Namphil Kim, Seo Woo Song, and Sunghoon Kwon. It can be accessed at https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0131733.
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Biomicrofluidics rapidly disseminates research in fundamental physicochemical mechanisms associated with microfluidic and nanofluidic phenomena. The journal also publishes research in unique microfluidic and nanofluidic techniques for diagnostic, medical, biological, pharmaceutical, environmental, and chemical applications. See https://aip.scitation.org/journal/bmf.
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