"Tools for Understanding Biology: Microfluidics and Separations Science"

Mark A. Hayes, Professor

Arizona State University, School of Molecular Sciences

Hosted by: Dr. Robbyn Anand

Abstract:  Biology is a complex beast from an analytics point of view. We need all the imaging and chemical/biochemical identification tools in the world to even begin to parse out the underlying molecular mechanisms. Yet understanding these mechanisms is paramount for so many reasons: diagnostics and therapeutics, origins of life, search for life in the solar system and understanding the environment. Even though we exist on the meters-scale and live for years, everything important happens at the molecular scale very quickly.

How do we begin to analyze these systems and where does microfluidics and separations science shine in the world of bioanalytics? It complements the myriad of imaging techniques and amplifies spectroscopies and mass spectrometries. The small scale of the devices allows examination of smaller volumes and shorter timescales, and the improved separations amplifies the amount of information that can be gathered from existing instruments. Using thoughtfully shaped flow and electric fields on the small platform gives strong fields and gradients that foundationally improve separations. Our group has focused on demonstrating extreme separations on cellular, meso-scale and molecular systems.

Early demonstrations showed that even antibiotic-resistant and susceptible bacteria could be cleanly separated by purely biophysical differences—no labels, no induced metabolism. The system is deterministic and reproducible based on foundational (and simple) principles. More recently, the same approach has been extended to viruses, exosomes, and proteins, pointing toward a new route to both fundamental biological insights and the development of a distinct diagnostic platform.

At its core, this strategy allows purification, isolation, and concentration of cells and bioparticles to true homogeneity based solely on their intrinsic properties. This capability inherently allows more information to be extracted from smaller samples over shorter time contributing accurate and precise data to feed our models of biology. The accuracy and precision of the data will drive more useful outcomes from these models, the most popular current ones being AI-driven.

Bio: Mark A. Hayes holds an associate professorship in the School of Molecular Sciences at Arizona State University, where he serves as an active researcher, mentor, teacher and colleague. His academic career has produced significant results across several disciplines within the analytical, clinical, biological, and physical chemistry communities that includes aspects of engineering, physics, biology and medicine. While contributing to the knowledge base, he has energetically and creatively supported the wider profession at local, regional, national and international levels.

He initially worked in private industry at a ‘mom & pop’ analytical laboratory and at J&W Scientific capillary gas chromatography column manufacturer (now part of Agilent) after earning his undergraduate degree at Humboldt State University (California). He then entered graduate school at Penn State University and studied under Professor Andrew G. Ewing (currently the Marie Currie Chair at University of Gothenburg, Sweden), developing electrokinetic approaches to neuroscience and building new instrumentation. Postdoctoral studies were with Dr. Werner Kuhr at the University of California, Riverside focused on biosensor develop exploiting enzymes.

Professor Hayes has contributed to several different research areas, ranging from creating bionanotubules from liposomes with electric fields to establishing a framework for vastly improved microscale array-based separations in more than 80 publications and book chapters. He has served as Program Chair, Governing Board Chair, Long Range Planning Chair and Marketing Chair for Federation of Analytical Chemistry and Spectroscopy Societies (FACSS) over a several-year period of time and was instrumental in altering the management structure and changing the name of the North American meeting to SciX Conference. He recently served as president (ending in 2015) of AES Electrophoresis Society. He has mentored 60 undergraduate and graduate students, producing 16 doctorates while supporting them with research funds and prestigious fellowships (NSF, Kirkbright, ACS, Fulbright, FLAS and local awards).