Cornell University - Visit www.cornell.edu College of Engineering - visit www.engr.cornell.edu Cornell University - Visit www.cornell.edu
Cornell University, College of Engineering
more options
Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Cornell University

 

About Us Contact Us Login
Brian J. Kirby
Assistant Professor
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Research Group Web Page: Micro/Nanofluidics Laboratory
Address:    238 Upson Hall
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY 14853
Phone: 
Fax:    
E-mail:
(607) 255-4379
607) 255-1222
bk88@cornell.edu

Dr. Kirby develops miniaturized devices for biochemical analysis, and has interests in micro- and nanoscale fluid transport, laser microfabrication, biomaterials, microscale cell culture, electrochemistry, and micro- and nanoparticle manipulation. Dr. Kirby is the director of the Micro/Nanofluidics Laboratory, and more information can be obtained at the Micro/Nanofluidics Laboratory website.

Research Positions
Features
Kirby Lab microfluidics nanofluidics Environmental sampling
Detecting viral pathogens in complex water systems
Kirby Lab microfluidics nanofluidics protein refolding in microchips Miniaturizing pharmaceutical discovery
How microscale protein refolding devices accelerate pharmaceutical development
Kirby Lab microfluidics nanofluidics Fluid mechanics at the nanoscale
How nanofabrication and membrane technology create new technological applications of teeny tiny fluid physics
Honors and Awards
  • 2002 R&D 100 Top Invention Award
  • 2004 J.D. Watson Investigator Award
  • 2006 Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) Award
  • 2008 Selected for National Academy of Engineering Frontiers of Engineering Symposium
  • 2008 Mr. & Mrs. Richard F. Tucker Excellence in Teaching Award
Courses
  • MAE 427: Fluid Mechanics and Heat Transfer Laboratory
  • MAE 423/523: Intermediate Fluid Dynamics
  • MAE 524/624: Physics of Micro- and Nanoscale Fluid Mechanics
Undergraduate Advising
Selected Publications

Kondapalli S, Kirby BJ
"Refolding of beta-galactosidase: Microfluidic device for reagent metering and mixing and quantification of refolding yield," submitted, 2008.

PDF version of George, Rana, Hawkins, Kirby: 
Microfluidic devices for terahertz spectroscopy of biomolecules

George PA, Hui W, Rana F, Hawkins BG, Smith AE, Kirby BJ
"Integrated microfluidic devices for terahertz spectroscopy of biomolecules", Optics Express, 16(3) 1577-1582 (2008). pdf text

PDF version of Tandon V Bhagavatula SK Nelson WC Kirby BJ:
Zeta potential and electroosmotic mobility in microfluidic devices
fabricated from hydrophobic polymers: 1. The origins of charge

Tandon V, Bhagavatula SK, Nelson WC, Kirby BJ
"Zeta potential and electroosmotic mobility in microfluidic devices fabricated from hydrophobic polymers: 1. The origins of charge", Electrophoresis 29(5):1092-1101, 2008. doi pdf

PDF version of Tandon V Kirby BJ:
Zeta potential and electroosmotic mobility in microfluidic devices 
fabricated from hydrophobic polymers: 2. Slip and interfacial water structure

Tandon V, Kirby BJ
"Zeta potential and electroosmotic mobility in microfluidic devices fabricated from hydrophobic polymers: 2. Slip and interfacial water structure", Electrophoresis 29(5):1102-1114, 2008. doi pdf

PDF version of Benjamin G. Hawkins, A. Ezekial Smith, 
Yusef A. Syed, Brian J. Kirby: 
Continuous-Flow Particle Separation 
by 3D Insulative Dielectrophoresis 
Using Coherently Shaped, dc-Biased, ac Electric Fields

Hawkins BG, Smith AE, Syed YA, Kirby BJ
"Continuous-flow particle separation by 3D insulative dielectrophoresis using coherently shaped, DC-biased, AC electric fields," Analytical Chemistry, 2007. doi pdf text

PDF version of Ghosh, Bhagwat, Renshaw, Goh, Gaeta, Kirby: Low-light-level optical interactions with rubidium vapor in a photonic band-gap fiber

Ghosh S, Bhagwat AR, Renshaw CK, Goh S, Gaeta AL, Kirby BJ
"Low-light-level optical interactions with rubidium vapor in a photonic band-gap fiber," Physical Review Letters 97:023603 (2006). doi pdf arxiv

PDF version of Mela, van den Berg, Fintschenko, Cummings, Simmons, Kirby: The zeta potential of cyclo-olefin polymer microchannels and its effects on insulative (electrodeless) dielectrophoresis particle trapping devices

Mela P, van den Berg A, Fintschenko Y, Cummings EB, Simmons BA, Kirby BJ
"The zeta potential of cyclo-olefin polymer microchannels and its effects on insulative (electrodeless) dielectrophoresis particle trapping devices," Electrophoresis 26:1792-1799 (2005). doi pdf text

PDF version of Kirby, Reichmuth, Renzi, Shepodd, Wiedenman: Microfluidic routing of aqueous and organic flows at high pressure: Fabrication and characterization of integrated polymer microvalve elements

Kirby BJ, Reichmuth DS, Renzi RF, Shepodd TJ, Wiedenman BJ
"Microfluidic routing of aqueous and organic flows at high pressure: Fabrication and characterization of integrated polymer microvalve elements," Lab on a Chip 5:184-190 (2005). doi pdf text

PDF version of Reichmuth, Shepodd, Kirby: On-chip high-pressure picoliter injector for pressure-driven flow through porous media

Reichmuth DS, Shepodd TJ, Kirby BJ
"On-chip high-pressure picoliter injector for pressure-driven flow through porous media," Analytical Chemistry 76:5063-5068 (2004). doi pdf text

PDF version of Song, Singh, Kirby: Electrophoretic concentration of proteins at laser-patterned porous membranes

Song S, Singh AK, Kirby BJ
"Electrophoretic Concentration of Proteins at Laser-Patterned Porous Membranes," Analytical Chemistry 76:4589-4592 (2004). doi pdf text

PDF version of Kirby, Hasselbrink: The zeta potential of microfluidic substrates. 1. Theory, experimental techniques, and effects on separations

Kirby BJ, Hasselbrink, Jr. EF
"The Zeta Potential of Microfluidic Substrates. 1. Theory, experimental techniques, and effects on separations," Electrophoresis, 25:187-202 (2004). doi pdf text

PDF version of Reichmuth, Kirby: Effects of ammonioalkyl sulfonate internal salts on electrokinetic micropump performance and reversed-phase HPLC separations

Reichmuth DS, Kirby BJ
"Effects of Ammonioalkyl sulfonate internal salts on electrokinetic micropump performance and Reversed-Phase HPLC separations," Journal of Chromatography A, 1013:93-101 (2003). doi pdf text

PDF version of Kirby, Wheeler, Zare, Fruetel, Shepodd: Programmable modification of cell adhesion and zeta potential in silica microchips

Kirby BJ, Wheeler AR, Zare RN, Fruetel JA, Shepodd TJ
"Programmable Modification of Cell Adhesion and Zeta Potential in Silica Microchips,"Lab On a Chip 3:5-10 (2003). doi pdf text

Brian Kirby joined the Cornell MAE faculty in 2004. Previous to that, he was a research scientist at Sandia National Laboratories and Stanford University. See more at the Micro/Nanofluidics Laboratory website.

Education
Ph.D. 2001  -  Stanford University, Mechanical Engineering
M.S.E. 1996  -  University of Michigan, Mechanical Engineering
B.S.E. 1994  -  University of Michigan, Aerospace Engineering