Suspension cell culture is commonly used for the manufacturing of biopharmaceutical products. One of the unit operations of downstream processing, called cell clarification, describes the separation of biopharmaceutical products from the cells which produce them, and the use of filters for clarification generally leads to large product losses. We use spiral microfluidic technology as a passive, continuous, and label-free method of separating cells from products. In this project, we will optimize the channel geometry and process conditions that lead to a cell-free harvest collection. This year, we will investigate how temperature and fluid viscosity influence device performance, and we will explore computational modeling of flow dynamics and particle focusing to guide future device designs.

I am participating in SuperUROP to gain experience with a longer-term research project and to strengthen my skills in device development. Through NEET, I was first introduced to microfluidics, which sparked my interest in this field. I am especially excited to learn how to iterate effectively when working with a system that involves such a large number of variables.