Jacob Albrecht

Education

B.S., University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2001

M.S., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2004

Research

My research focuses on developing new analytical technologies to enhance the existing tools available to cell biologists. My current project involves using free-flow isoelectric focusing devices to perform continuous sample prefractionation; an essential step for boosting the sensitivity of downstream detection. A key improvement over prior work is the use of chemically modified gels to facilitate the large, localized electric fields necessary for rapid separations. With characteristic length scales of 50 microns, these devices have been shown to quickly concentrate and separate a variety of samples, both biological and chemical. The simple design and cheap fabrication allow for single use devices that could be integrated with other ongoing micro-analytical projects within the CDP center.