Falko Schmidt is presenting a talk on a newly developed reconfigurable optofluidic toolbox for active matter applications at Leipzig University.

Title of Talk:  Reconfigurable optofluidic toolbox for advanced microenvironmental control 

Time/Date: 13:00 CET/05.12.2024

Place:  Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany

Abstract:  
This talk introduces a reconfigurable optofluidic platform that employs virtual, optically-controlled boundaries to dynamically manipulate fluids and particles at the microscale. By leveraging heat-induced modifications of fluid properties, the system enables real-time adjustments to flow profiles, surpassing the constraints of traditional fixed microfluidic designs. I will demonstrate how precise control of temperature landscapes facilitates the on-demand creation of microfluidic barriers. Moreover, this platform possesses the potential to integrate various temperature-induced phenomena, such as sol-gel transitions of hydrogels or binary demixing, making it versatile for a wide range of applications. These include studying out-of-equilibrium phenomena in complex environments, in particular for active soft matter systems, achieving precise nanopositioning in MEMS/NEMS, and developing adaptable lab-on-chip protocols for the life sciences.