The AMNL focuses on (1) the design and fabrication of novel MEMS/NEMS devices; and (2) micro- and nanorobotic manipulation. We develop new processes and employ novel materials to construct functional devices. On the front of micro- and nanorobotics, we create micro-nanorobotic systems integrating MEMS/NEMS tools and develop intelligent manipulation strategies to manipulate micro-nanometer sized objects (e.g., biological cells, molecules, and nanomaterials such as nanotubes, nanowires, and photonic nanospheres).

Our interests range from fundamental science, to applied biotechnology, to emerging engineering issues - with a unifying theme centered upon development and application of novel micro/nano devices and systems. New types of micro/nano devices and systems enable a range of biological/biomedical and engineering applications that we currently pursue. Our skills include device design, fabrication, and testing (solid-state and bioMEMS); micro-nanorobotic manipulation; computer vision microscopy; pN force sensing; sub-angstrom positioning; cellular biomechanics; biochemical sensing; and the electro/mechanical characterization of biological cells and nanomaterials.

The AMNL hosts state-of-the-art infrastructures for micro and nanoscale research, ranging from imaging tools: motorized inverted microscopes (with fluorescent and birefringent imaging capabilities), stereo microscopes, cameras, optical lenses, scanning electron microscope; to manipulation tools: MEMS probe station, microrobots, nanomanipulators; to motion control devices; to electronic testing devices (e.g., impedance analyzer, precision LRC meter, pico-Amp source meter); to computational facilities; and to cell incubation and biomaterial handling/storage facilities.

In addition, the team accesses on-campus cleanrooms for micro-nanofabrication and on-campus characterization facilities (e.g., TEM and various spectrometers). Importantly, AMNL's collaborative network enables the team to utilize the vast resources of the many collaborating groups in biomedical engineering, nanomaterials, and several research hospitals.

Some of the facilities that AMNL and on-campus cleanrooms host are listed on this 'Equipment' page.

Our funding sponsors include NSERC, CIHR, CFI, OMRI, OCE, Connaught, TIG, CRC, and industries. The team is working on projects along the following directions:  

• MEMS (microelectromechanical systems):

  • Solid-state sensor and actuator design, fabrication, and testing

  • BioMEMS (microfluidic device arrays; drug-delivery devices; cancer detection devices)

  • Wireless/Telemetric MEMS sensors

• BioMEMS and bioNEMS enabled biomedical studies:

  • MEMS-based cell mechanics

  • MEMS-based high-throughput combinatorial stimuli screening

  • MEMS-based electromechanical characterization of cells

  • MEMS-based controlled drug delivery

  • NEMS-based protein sensing

• Microrobotics:

  • Microrobotic manipulation of single cells

  • NanoNewton force sensing and control by integrating MEMS/NEMS devices

  • Visual servoing with microscopy visual feedback

  • High precision position control

  • Assimilation of feedback from multi-modalities

• Nanorobotic manipulation and NEMS (nanoelectromechanical systems) construction:

  • Development of nanomanipulation tools

  • Manipulation of nanomaterials and biomolecules inside electron microscopes

  • Characterization of mechanical and electrical properties of single nanomaterials

  • Assembly of heterogeneous nano structures (nanoassembly)

  • NEMS device design and fabrication

More details on the projects are available in our publications, or contact us for information on most recent activities.