Undergraduate Research
MICROFLUIDICS UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH GROUP
The miniaturization trend of electronic components since 1970’s and the development of advanced fabrication techniques for micro and nanoscale devices since 1980’s led to the usage of devices having the dimensions of micrometers and nanometers in many fields. As a consequence a field of microfluidics which deals with fluid flow phenomena at microscale became an interesting, rich research field. Fundamental understanding of the fluid, thermal and mass transport at microscale is very critical for the design and process control of the microfluidic systems.Lab-on-a-chip (LOC) devices are the microfluidic platforms that can integrate complex chemical management and analysis systems onto one chip just millimeters or centimeters in size and can be interfaced with electronics and optical detection systems. The ultimate goal of the LOC technology is to develop portable devices that can accomplish the same analytical tasks fast and accurately as its room-sized or benchtop-sized counterparts, however, at much lower manufacturing and operational cost, and more importantly which can accomplish in-situ testing and detection. This kind of devices are being demanded by life sciences, space explorations, defense industry, atmospheric sciences, pharmaceutical research etc. METU-NCC Microfluidics & Lab-on-a-chip Research Group’s interest lies in the fundamental and experimental investigations on transport phenomena in microchannel networks and development of the LOC technology for biomedical, biological and chemical applications. Further information about this research group can be found at the METU-NCC Microfluidics & Lab-on-a-Chip Research Group page.
SOLAR SHIP
It is not a new idea using not only wind energy but also solar-electrical conversion systems for driving ships and boats instead of burning up fossil fuels for contributing the struggles having a better sustainable environment via controlling emission of greenhouse gasses. This writing aims informing the Clean Energy Society about the solar ship project which has been studied by a group of students, under the Energy Society umbrella at the Middle East Technical University Northern Cyprus Campus and also making an invitation for initiating an annual competition between TRNC Universities in the green and clean island Cyprus on designing and prototyping solar driven boats. The model of the boat designed by the students will be built on two parallel hulls held together by a single deck and be equipped with photovoltaic panels, controlling and driving units.Further information about this project can be found at the Solar Ship Project page.