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636-0203-00L 3 Credits MSC D-BSSE

Lab Course: Microsystems and Microfluidics in Biology

Lecturers & Examiners: Prof. Dr. Andreas Hierlemann, Prof. Dr. Petra S. Dittrich
The lab course is open for MSc Biotechnology students only.
VVZ CR n/a

Last Updated: 2026-06-03 00:07:32

Abstract

This practical course is an introduction to microsystems technology and microfluidics for the life sciences. It includes basic concepts of microsystem design, fabrication, and assembly into an experimental setup. Biological applications include a variety of measurements of cellular and tissue signals and subsequent analysis.

Objective

The students are introduced to the basic principles of microsystems technology. They get acquainted with practical scientific work and learn the entire workflow of (a) understanding the theoretical concept, (b) planning the experiment, (c) engineering of the needed device, (d) execution of the experiment and data acquisition, (e) data evaluation and analysis, and (f) reporting and discussion of the results.

Content

The practical course will consist of a set of 4 experiments.

Resources

Lecture Notes

Notes and guidelines will be provided at the beginning of the course.

Literature

- S.M. Sze, "Semiconductor Devices, Physics and Technology", 2nd edition, Wiley, 2002 - W. Menz, J. Mohr, O. Paul, "Microsystem Technology", Wiley-VCH, 2001 - G. T. A. Kovacs, "Micromachined Transducers Sourcebook", McGraw-Hill, 1998 - M. J. Madou, "Fundamentals of Microfabrication", 2nd ed., CRC Press, 2002 - N.-T. Nguyen and S. Wereley, "Fundamentals and Applications of Microfluidics", Artech House, ISBN 1-580-53343-4 - O. Geschke et al., "Microsystem Engineering for Chemistry and the Life Sciences", Wiley-VCH, ISBN 3-527-30733-8

General Information

Language
English
Levels
MSC
Frequency
Yearly recurring

Examination

Type
ungraded semester performance
Detailed reports are required and need to be approved for every experiment.

Registration & Places

Priority: Registration for the course unit is only possible for the primary target group

Course Components

Type Title Time & Place Hours
practical/laboratory course Lab Course: Microsystems and Microfluidics in Biology
The course takes place Mondays/Tuesdays on the following dates: 26-27 October | 2-3 / 09-10 / 16-17 November
No time listed 64 h semesterly

Offered In