Background

Filamentous fungi are valuable producers of bioactive compounds due to their biosynthetic capacity. However, their application in microfluidic systems for high-throughput mutagenesis screens for evolving traits of interest is limited by technical challenges. When encapsulated in conventional water-in-oil droplets, filamentous fungi tend to grow through the droplet interface, eventually breaking it. This lack of containment in droplets hinders the use of droplet-based microfluidics in fungi for high-throughput screening and sorting platforms such as Fluorescence-Activated Droplet Sorting (FADS). This project aims to develop robust microreactor formats that can confine filamentous fungi while enabling prolonged culture and metabolite detection in droplet-based microfluidic workflows.

This project is supported by the collaboration between the deMello Lab (ETH Zurich) and the Syngenta Crop Protection AG (Stein, AG) Research Center.

Objectives

• Apply droplet microfluidics to develop solutions for the encapsulation of filamentous fungi, overcoming the limitations of conventional droplets.

• Generate and test microreactors (e.g., hydrogels, biocompatible core–shell beads) capable of confining the growth of filamentous fungi such as Botrytis cinerea, while maintaining droplet stability.

•

Evaluate multiple strategies for fungal confinement, comparing droplets, beads, and core–shell microreactors in terms of stability, fungal viability, and metabolite retention.

• Evaluate the capacity to release / re-grow the fungus from droplets and / or beads following selection stage.

• Integrate small molecule detection, aiming for microreactors that encapsulate not only the organism but also its secreted products, enabling their downstream analysis. (optional)

Duration: 3 months

References: 10.1021/acssensors.3c01018

Our group recently developed a paper-based electrochemical assay for monitoring creatinine in urine. This test was able to detect creatinine within physiologically relevant levels, and in the presence of common contaminants. In  this project, we want to integrate this assay into a fully integrated prototype device, and also expand its capabilities  to detect proteinuria. We will achieve this through the following objectives.  

1) Develop and optimize a paper-based electrofluidic assay for both creatinine and proteinuria

2) Integrate these optimized assays into a prototype 3D-printed device 

3) Evaluate the performance of the device on patient samples obtained from Unispital Zürich.

The aim of this project is to apply our new SGC technology toward the detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB), particularly drug-resistant forms. During the project, we will design new SGCs for several target genes indicative of MTB and rifampicin-resistant MTB infections. We will then integrate these SGCs into a colourimetric paper-based device, with the ultimate aim of creating a highly accessible diagnostic device.  The work will be split into three aims. 

1) Design and synthesise SGCs specific to gene targets for MTB and rifampicin-resistant MTB

2) Integrate these SGCS into colourimetric assays that can be interpreted by humans / smartphone cameras 

3) Transfer these assays onto a custom-built paper-based test strip / 3D printed housing

This project aims to identify potential functional mRNAs from an established mRNA library that can significantly improve the efficacy of immune cell therapy. Utilizing a droplet microfluidics platform, we provide thousands of mRNAs with independent environments for concurrent screening.

Candidate Requirements:

Strong background in biology

Basic knowledge of engineering principles

If you are Interested, please send your CV and motivation letter to:

Rashin Mohammadi (rashin.mohammadi@chem.ethz.ch)

Junyue Chen (chen.junyue@chem.ethz.ch)

Join us in advancing immunotherapy through cutting-edge mRNA screening technology!

Keywords: Droplet Microfluidics, Colloidal Assembly, Microrobotics

We are looking for a motivated Master’s student to join an exciting interdisciplinary thesis project, collaborating between deMello group (D-CHAB) and Multi-Scale Robotics Lab (D-MAVT) at ETH Zurich. This project focuses on creating a novel microfluidic-based bottom-up method to fabricate multifunctional microrobots. This innovative approach seeks to revolutionize microrobot fabrication, opening the door to diverse new applications.

Background

Microrobots have immense potential in fields such as biomedicine and environmental remediation. However, their development has been hindered by limitations in integrating multiple functional components effectively. Current top-down fabrication methods, e.g. photolithography or 3D printing, struggle to combine diverse functional components, restricting the versatility and performance of microrobots.

To overcome these challenges, this project will develop a novel bottom-up microfluidic assembly method, enabling the creation of multifunctional microrobots with unprecedented precision and flexibility. This innovative approach has the potential to redefine microrobot fabrication and expand their applications significantly.

Ideal Skills and Experience (not mandatory)

· Experience or knowledge in microfluidic devices design and operation.

· Prior experience in chemistry lab.

Our project is highly interdisciplinary and embodies a high-impact, high-reward research approach. Your work could lead to pioneering discoveries and applications in microrobotics. If you are interested, please contact Chao Song (chao.song@chem.ethz.ch) and Dr. Minghan Hu (minghu@ethz.ch) for more details about the Master thesis.