Welcome to the W. M. Keck Center For Nanoscale Optofluidics at UC Santa Cruz.

The W.M. Keck Center for Nanoscale Optofluidics was established with a $1.5 Million grant through the W.M. Keck Center Foundation's Science and Engineering Research Program. Its mission is the development of optofluidic devices and their application to single particle studies in molecular biology and biomedical diagnostics.

Optofluidics is the combination of both integrated optical and fluidic components in the same miniaturized system. The functionalities of optofluidic systems can be improved and expanded by addition of nanoscale features on the chip. The W.M. Keck Nanofabrication facility provides unique capabilities for creating this new type of integrated devices. The Center brings together an interdisciplinary mix of six research groups from five departments at UC Santa Cruz. In both individual and joint research efforts, these groups develop nanoscale optofluidics for fundamental research and biomedical applications.

Our facilities include an FEI Quanta 3D dual beam scanning electron / focused ion beam microscope that is available for general use at competitive recharge rates.

» Article by Lexa Stambaugh, Josh Parks, Gopi Meena et al. on multiplex detection of COVID-19 and Flu antigens on a chip published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science (Press Release, Coverage: 1, 2, 3) (May 2021).

» Article by Gopi Meena et al. on ultra-high sensitivity detection of single fluorescent particles using high refractive index liquid-core waveguides published in IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Quantum Electronics (January 2021).

» Article by Tyler Sano et al. on a pneumatically-tunable distributed feedback dye laser using corrugated sidewalls published in Optics Letters (October 2020).

» Article by Gopi Meena et al. on 3X-multiplexed detection of antibiotic-resistant plasmids with single molecule sensitivity published in Lab on a Chip and selected as an Editor's Pick (October 2020).

» Article by Lexa Stambaugh et al. on amplication-free multiplexed detection of viral hemorrhagic fevers published in IEEE J. Selected Topics Quantum Electronics (September 2020).

» Article by Gopi Meena et al. on 7X-multiplexed detection of nucleic acids for antibiotic-resistant bacterial screening published in Optics Express (September 2020).

» Professor Schmidt is elected Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors (Press Release)(December 2019).

» Article by Mahmud Rahman et al. on enhancing nanopore detection of single molecules using optical trapping in an optofluidic chip published in Optica (August 2019).

» Article by Mahmud Rahman et al. on single molecule delivery and analysis in a programmable nanopore-optofluidic device published in Nature Communications (Press Release) (August 2019).

» Professor Schmidt receives Engineering Achievement Award from the IEEE Photonics Society for development of optofluidic waveguide technology (Press Release) (July 2019).

» Article by Jennifer Black on single virus detection enhancement with hydrodynamic focusing published in IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Quantum Electronics (January 2019).

» Article by Mahmud Rahman et al. on single-particle analysis with 2D electro-optical trapping on an integrated optofluidic device published in Optica (October 2018).

» Article by Gopi Meena and Aadhar Jain on integration of sample preparation and single molecule detection on a PDMS chip published in Lab on Chip (October 2018).

» Article by Jennifer Black on velocity-based multiplex detection of single viruses published in Optics Letters (Editor's Pick) (September 2018).

» Article by Alexandra Stambaugh, Joshua Parks et al. on multiplex detection published as Editor's Pick in Biomedical Optics Express (Press release) (August 2018).

» The W.M. Keck Center for Nanoscale Optofluidics hosted a field trip from Westlake Elementary with over 100 fifth grade students learning about electron microscopy and nanoscale science (May 2018).

» Open access review article on optofluidic bioanalysis highlighted on Science Discoveries (February 2018).

» Article by Cathy Cai, Josh Parks et al. on amplification-free direct detection of Ebola viruses on an optofluidic chip published in Nature Scientific Reports (Article, Press release) (September 2015).

» Article by Shuo Liu et al. on electro-optical analysis of single DNA molecules using a nanopore-gated optofluidic chip published in Chemical Communications Article (January 2015).

» Prof. Schmidt elected Fellow of Optical Society of America (link) (January 2014).

» Graduate student Jinbo Zhu (Electrical Engineering) receives QB3 Fellowship for first-year Keck Center studies. (September 2013).

» Keck Center hosts COSMOS outreach program for high school students with electron microscopy demonstrations and high resolution imaging of student-made nanoparticles (photos).

» Article by Josh Parks and Cathy Cai et al. on hybrid optofluidic integration published in Lab on Chip. Article (August 2013).

» Prof. Schmidt appointed Narinder Singh Kapany Endowed Chair of Optoelectronics (July 2013).

» Applied Optics group work on infectious disease detection on an optofluidic chip selected as CLEO conference highlight.

» Event: April 11, 2013 -- Dr. Tijman Euser, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light, "Particle propulsion and photochemistry in hollow core photonic crystal fiber".

» Professor Schmidt's work in Nanoscale Optofluidics and chip-based biosensing featured in EEWeb.com. Article (November 2011)

» Event: September 28, 2011 -- Professor Brian Cunningham, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, "Getting Molecules to "See the Light": Nanostructures and Instruments for Biomedical Detection".

» Prof. Schmidt's work highlighted as Featured Engineer on EEWeb.com: Article (June 2011)

» Keck fellow Damon Wheeler's develops hollow metal nanospheres for cancer treatment: Article (May 2011).

» Event: May 24, 2011 -- Dr. Richard Gordon University of Manitoba, Canada, "Diatom Nanotechnology and Nanofluidics".

» Upcoming Seminar: March 17, 2011 -- Dr. Allen Yang, Postdoctoral Associate, Institute for Collaborative Biotechnologies, University of California at Santa Barbara, "Optofluidics: Directing light for nanoscale transport in fluids".

» Handbook of Optofluidics edited by Aaron Hawkins and Holger Schmidt and published by CRC Press has been released (April 2010).

» Seminar: November 2, 2009 -- Dr. Michael Stone, Assistant Professor, Chemistry and Biochemistry, UC Santa Cruz, "Single Molecule Studies of Telomerase Structure and Function".

» Applied Optics Group develops new on-chip optical particle trap: Official Press Release (June 2009).

» Graduate students Kaelyn Leake (Electrical Engineering) and Damon Wheeler (Chemistry) receive QB3 Fellowship for first-year Keck Center studies. (July 2009)

» Professor Bill Dunbar receives NSF Career grant for biomolecular control research: Press Release. (May 2009).

» W.M. Keck Foundation awards $1.5 Million to UCSC team to establish Center for Nanoscale Optofluidics: Official Press Release (January 2009).