Microfluidics for the separation and detection of protozoan pathogens in drinking-water supplies

Cryptosporidium and Giardia are protozoan parasites that cause gastroenteritis worldwide, with an estimated 250-500 million cases of cryptosporidiosis and 200 million cases of giardiasis occurring globally per annum. Such pathogens are problematic agents of waterborne illness as they are able to resist chlorination during treatment, are produced in high numbers by infected hosts, infective at extremely low doses and persistent in water. The standard protocol for detection of Cryptosporidium and Giardia in drinking-water supplies, USEPA 1623, gives no indication of the viability or species of recovered pathogens. This seminar will focus on the incorporation of techniques such as dielectrophoresis (DEP), surface acoustic waves (SAW) and deterministic lateral displacement (DLD) in microfluidic systems to divulge species and viability related information of Cryptosporidium oocysts and Giardia cysts.