David W.M. Marr

Professor & Department Head

BS - University of California, Berkeley
MS, PhD - Stanford University
Post-Doctoral Study - Raychem Corporation
Education Abroad - Georg-August-Universität Göttingen (Germany)

Research Description

The controlled assembly of colloidal particles has received significant attention in recent years because of their potential application as nano- and micro-structured materials. To vary their structure and behavior, we employ external fields, including applied time-varying electromagnetic, electric, and magnetic fields. One technique that we use to great extent is optical trapping in which a “tractor beam” like approach, using a focused laser, is used to manipulate individual cells and colloidal particles. Funded in recent years by the NIH, NSF and NASA for microfluidic applications, our goal is the creation of technologically-relevant platforms including micron-scale colloidal-based devices as well as optical-based cell sorters and stretchers for bioanalysis and biomedical assay development.

Google Scholar Citations Page

Selected Publications

T. Sawetzki, C.D. Eggleton, D.W.M. Marr, “Cell Elongation via Instrinsic Antipodal Stretching Forces”, Physical Review E, 2012, 86, 061901.

I. Sraj, C.D. Eggleton, R. Jimenez, E. Hoover, J. Squier, J. Chichester, D.W.M. Marr, “Cell Deformation Cytometry using Diode-Bar Optical Stretchers”, Journal of Biomedical Optics, 2010, 15, 047010. (Also featured in the Virtual Journal of Biological Physics Research).

T. Sawetzki, S. Rahmouni, C. Bechinger, D.W.M. Marr, “In-Situ Assembly of Linked Geometrically-Coupled Microdevices”, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA, 2008, 150, 20141-20145.

R.W. Applegate Jr., J. Squier, T. Vestad, J. Oakey, D.W.M. Marr, P. Bado, M.A. Dugan, A.A. Said, “Microfluidic Sorting System Based on Optical Waveguide Integration and Diode Laser Bar Trapping”, Lab on a Chip, 2006, 6, 422.

T. Gong, D.T. Wu, D.W.M. Marr, “Electric Field Reversible Three-Dimensional Colloidal Crystals”, Langmuir, 2003, 19, 5967 (cover article).

A. Terray, J. Oakey, D.W.M. Marr, “Microfluidic Control Using Colloidal Devices”, Science, 2002, 296, 1841.(Abstract, Full Text). (Also featured in Technology Research News).