Tasmanian researcher given grants to develop lab-on-a-chip technology through 3D printing
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Researchers are using 3D printing technology to turn bulky chemical analytic labs into portable devices that can be carried around in our pockets.
Professor Michael Breadmore from the University of Tasmania said the easiest way to describe what he and his students were working on was to consider today's widely used home pregnancy test kits.
"That's an example of where a portable chemical analysis gives us some information where we can make decisions about our life and what we might do with that knowledge," he told Helen Shield on ABC Radio Hobart.
"My job is to be able to test anything that people want to be able to test."
The research team has just been given a boost with two large grants totalling $630,000 to help develop portable analytical devices that can interface with a smartphone.
"Last week was a very exciting week," Professor Breadmore said.
The money will help the researchers further develop a portable nitrate level kit which can be used to measure the runoff in waterways from fertiliser.
"What that's going to do is take the hand-sized device and make it about 10 to 100 times smaller.
"We have some funding, a significant amount of funding, to work with an international 3D manufacturer in Taiwan."
Measuring nitrate levels in the field is just one use of the type of lab-on-chip technology Professor Breadmore is developing.
Personalised medicine with home test kits
Just as diabetics can monitor their blood-glucose levels on a daily basis using a portable analysis device in their homes, Professor Breadmore one day hopes to create other medical analysis devices for more personalised medication.
"My personal interest has been looking at therapeutics in body fluids for personalised medicine and managing drug treatment at home," he said.
"Being able to monitor that and then adjust your doses is something I think we'll be doing in the next 20 to 30 years."
Professor Breadmore said his work on portable analysis devices was similar to what had happened to computers.
The first computers were machines that took up entire rooms and were now tiny chips carried around in people's pockets.
"I call it knowledge immediacy culture," Professor Breadmore said.
"You can pick up our phone, you can Google anything and it will tell you what you want to know, except whether that glass of water is safe to drink.
"But chemical measuring technology that is interfaced to your smartphone might be able to do that and tell you if that water is safe to drink or that food is safe to eat."
Topics: research, computers-and-technology, chemistry, mobile-phones, human-interest, hobart-7000
