Cover Picture: Electrophoresis 17'2011

Abstract

AbstractIssue no. 17 is a special issue on “Dielectrophoresis – Part I” consisting of 16 contributions distributed over 3 distinct parts. “We are delighted to start a new tradition of special issues on Dielectrophoresis, a novel and powerful technique that is increasingly gaining significant interest from both the academic and the industrial communities.” The present special issue assembles “valuable contributions from research groups in USA, Europe, Asia and Latin America. The articles cover the fundamentals of dielectrophoresis, extending to applications for nanoscale particles, with focus on protein characterization, to a wide array of systems for the separation and sorting of a variety of cells.”“The first section on Fundamentals includes three valuable review articles covering the topics of double layer polarization, liquid dielectrophoresis and two phase flow, and an overview of electrodeless dielectrophoresis with focus on bioanalysis. The second section of this issue is focused on nanoscale dielectrophoresis, starting with a review article that analyzes the state of the art on the dielectrophoretic manipulation of a wide range of nanosized particles, from semiconducting particles, to DNA, nanowires and graphene. This review article is followed by two contributions on the manipulation of protein particles in iDEP systems, extending to experimental and numerical simulation studies.The third and last section is focused on the dielectrophoretic manipulation of cells. The section begins with a review article that examines the latest developments of dielectrophoresis for monitoring microorganisms in environmental applications. The review includes applications for water, air and soil assessments that study a large variety of microorganisms, from virus to protozoa. The review is followed by contributions extending to several modes and configurations for applying dielectrophoresis, comprising nanoelectrodes, 3‐D microstructures, cascade systems, 3‐D carbon electrodes and microwell electrodes. The remarkable response received for this special issue confirms the powerful impact of dielectrophoresis on the field of microfluidics. ‘Dielectrophoresis 2011 – Part II’ will be published in the upcoming issue no. 18.”Featured articles include:Dielectrophoretic mobility determination in DC insulator‐based dielectrophoresis. ((10.1002/elps.201100034))Dielectrophoresis at the nanoscale. ((10.1002/elps.201100038))A novel approach to dielectrophoresis using carbon electrodes. ((10.1002/elps.201100059))