Research
ZidaLab develops microfluidic and computational technologies for precision biomedical measurement. We focus on assays that are sensitive, scalable, and practical enough to move beyond specialized laboratories.
Our projects often combine device design, wet-lab assay development, microscopy, image analysis, and machine learning. The goal is to create tools that help researchers and clinicians measure nucleic acids, single cells, droplets, and blood mechanics with higher throughput and lower instrumentation barriers.
Research Directions
Nucleic acid testing is central to infectious disease detection, genetic diagnostics, and molecular biology. We develop droplet-based digital assays that aim to reduce instrument complexity while improving sensitivity, quantification, and multiplexing.
Current work explores label-free readouts, non-uniform droplet statistics, image-based classification, and portable workflows for digital nucleic acid analysis.
Single-cell measurements reveal biological heterogeneity that is hidden in bulk samples. We use droplet microfluidics to isolate, manipulate, barcode, and analyze cells at high throughput.
Our interests include cell encapsulation, droplet sorting, single-cell sequencing workflows, and combinatorial perturbation screens.
Coagulation testing is important in many clinical settings, but conventional assays can be slow, sample-consuming, and instrument-dependent. We build miniaturized microfluidic assays for measuring blood clotting and mechanical properties.
These platforms are designed for quantitative readouts such as clot retraction force, viscosity, and related functional signatures.
Many biomedical assays need better ways to control, observe, and select microscale samples. We develop microfluidic tools for droplet manipulation, antibody patterning, image-activated sorting, and assay automation.
By combining device engineering with real-time imaging and computation, we aim to make complex measurements easier to run and easier to interpret.
How We Work
Microfluidic chips, assay formats, optical readouts, and experimental workflows.
Droplets, cells, nucleic acids, blood samples, images, and quantitative signals.
Image processing, statistical modeling, machine learning, and assay validation.
Portable, scalable, and cost-aware tools for biomedical research and diagnostics.
Research Pictures
Our work is hands-on and interdisciplinary: device fabrication, droplet experiments, biological assays, microscopy, and data analysis often happen within the same project.
Lab Facilities
The lab maintains facilities for microfabrication, microscopy, molecular biology, cell experiments, droplet handling, and computation. This enables students to move from concept to prototype to quantitative testing within one research environment.