Jump to: Research Introduction; Research Videos; Research Facilities.
Here is a 1-min video introducing the group's research.

1. Research Introduction

The Advanced Micro and Nanosystems Laboratory specializes in the design and construction of enabling micro and nanosystems (micro-nano robotic systems and MEMS/ microfluidic devices) for automated operation at the micro-nanometer scales. We develop new technologies to manipulate, characterize, and sense cells, molecules, and nanomaterials for pursuing discoveries (e.g., in mechanobiology, developmental biology, and nanomechanics) and for tackling clinical and industrial applications. We acknowledge financial support from NSERC, CIHR, CFI, OMRI, ORF, OCE, Connaught, CRC, OGI, Grand Challenges of Canada, and industries.

Our research has a unifying theme centered upon development and application of novel micro/nano devices and systems. We study fundamental science, applied biotechnology, and emerging engineering problems with new types of micro/nano devices and systems. Our technical skills include:

  • Automation at micro-nanometer scales

  • Micro-nano robotic manipulation

  • Optical and electron microscopy

  • MEMS

  • Microfluidics

  • Precision Instrumentation

  • Robotic cell surgery

  • Nanomanufacturing

2. Research Videos

Some of our research video clips are listed on the 'Videos' page. All videos are real-time videos unless stated otherwise. For more details on the projects, please refer to the Publications page or contact us for information on most recent activities.

3. Research Facilities

The AMNL hosts state-of-the-art infrastructures for micro and nanoscale research, ranging from imaging tools: scanning electron microscope (SEM), atomic force microscope (AFM), confocal microscope, motorized inverted microscopes (fluorescent imaging; DIC; phase contrast), stereo microscopes, cameras, optical lenses; to manipulation tools: MEMS probe station, micromanipulators, nanomanipulators; to motion control devices; to electronic testing devices (e.g., impedance analyzer, precision LRC meter, pico-Amp source meter); to computational facilities; and to cell incubation and biomaterial handling/storage facilities.

In addition, the team accesses on-campus cleanrooms for micro-nanofabrication and on-campus characterization facilities (e.g., TEM, FIB, various spectrometers etc.). Here is the web site of UofT's central cleanroom facilities, Toronto Nanofabrication Center (TNFC). AMNL's collaborative networks also enable our team to utilize the vast resources of the many collaborating groups in biomedical engineering, nanomaterials, and several research hospitals.

Some of the facilities that AMNL and on-campus cleanrooms host are listed on the 'Equipment' page (pictures taken up to 2010).

 

Recent Events

Y. Sun was elected by IEEE RAS to serve on the Administrative Committee (AdCom). (01/2024)

W.K. Dou received a pretigious William J. Wilder Research Fellowship from the Hospital for Sick Children. (12/2023)

Prof. Gang Chen from MIT came to visit MIE and AMNL. (10/2023)

S. Yang and J.H. Law defenced their theses and received their M.A.Sc. degree and Ph.D. degree, respectively. (09/2023)

J.H. Law received Frontiers of Science Award at International Congress of Basic Science. (07/2023)

IEEE RAS President, Prof. Frank Park visited UofT Robotics Institute and AMNL. (06/2023)

Robotics Institute attended and exhibited at IEEE ICRA'23 in London, UK. (05/2023)

Y. Sun attended the IEEE Editors-in-Chief meeting in Chicago. (04/2023)

X. Wang started his Assistant Professor position at Queen's University; C.S. Dai started his Professor position at Dalian University of Technology. (03/2023)

Y. Sun joined the editorial board of Science Robotics. (02/2023)

W.K. Dou won Best Presentation Award at IEE MEMS'23 in Munich, Germany. (01/2023)

AMNL had its end-of-year lab gathering on the Xmas eve. (12/2022)

David Rolko graduated with his Master's degree. (11/2022)

Y. Sun joined the editorial board of the Science-partnered journal, Research. (10/2022)

G.Q. Shan completed his Ph.D. defense. (09/2022)

M. Zhu was awarded a SickKids RESTRACOMP postdoctoral fellowship. (08/2022)

MARSS'22 was held July 25-28 in Toronto, hosted on the campus of UofT. (07/2022)

Y. Sun received the IEEE EMBS Technical Achievement Award. (06/2022)

Z.J. Huang completed his Ph.D. defense; Y. Sun chaired the ETH MSRL 20th anniversary symposium in Zurich. (05/2022)

T. Cui was awarded an NSERC postdoctoral fellowship. (02/2022)

W.K. Dou was awarded a SickKids RESTRACOMP postdoctoral fellowship. (01/2021)

Y. Sun was awarded an NSERC Synergy Award for Innovation. (12/2021)

Y. Sun was elected to be a foreign member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering. (11/2021)

Y. Sun started his term as Editor-in-Chief of IEEE Trans. Automation Science and Engineering. (10/2021)

D.K. Dou completed his Ph.D. defense. (09/2021)

X. Wang was awarded a prestigious Dunn Brain Tumor Research Fellowship. (08/2021)

Z.R. Zhang started his Assistant Professor position at CUHK-Shenzhen. (07/2021)

Y. Sun was Program Chair of IEEE ICRA'2021 that was held in Xi'an, with 4,056 submissions from 59 countries. (06/2021)

X.J. Liu started his Associate Professor position at Dalian University of Technology. (03/2021)

L.M. Xin started his Professor position at Shanghai University. (02/2021)

AMNL won the UofT Connaught Innovation Award. (01/2021)

X. Wang received the L.C. Tsui Fellowship from the Hopital for Sick Children. Z.Y. Gong received a J.H. Weber and E.C. Mariano Graduate Scholarship. (12/2020)

C.S. Dai's paper was accepted by Nature Reviews Urology. Y. Sun received the CSME Mechatronics Medal. (11/2020)

Led by Z.R. Zhang, AMNL was awarded first prize for technical achievement by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM). (10/2020)

T. Cui and M. Zhu passed their Ph.D. defenses. X.J. Liu received a PDF Fellowship from the Ted Rogers Centre for Heart Research. (09/2020)

H. Madhusudanan and L.H. Du passed M.A.Sc. defenses; X. Wang and C.S. Dai passed their Ph.D. defenses. (08/2020)

UofT labs reopened with measures taken to ensure safety. (07/2020)

M. Zhu received a prestigious Medicine by Design postdoctoral fellowship. (06/2020)

AMNL alumnus, Changhong Cao accepted an offer of assistant professor from McGill University. (05/2020)

Liming's paper was selected as an Editors' Choice by Science Translational Medicine. (04/2020)

UofT and AMNL are closed due to COVID-19. (03/2020)

M. Zhu's paper on stiffness mapping deep in tissue was published in PNAS. (02/2020)

T. Cui's paper on Fatigue of Graphene was published in Nature Materials. (01/2020)

AMNL won the UofT Connaught Innovation Award. (12/2019)

Y. Sun attended the new fellow induction ceremony of the Royal Society of Canada (RSC). (11/2019)

Y. Sun was elected Fellow of AIMBE (American Institute of Medicine and Biomedical Engineering). (10/2019)

W.K. Dou again received a Ph.D. fellowship from the Ted Rogers Centre for Heart Research Education Fund. Congrats! (08/2019)

Y. Sun gave a plenary talk at MARSS'2019 (Int. Conf. on Manipulation, Automation and Robotics at Small Scales). MARSS'2020 will be held in Toronto. (07/2019)

AMNL won the Michael R. Freeman Innovation Award together with Toronto General Hospital. (06/2019)

AMNL presented three papers at IEEE ICRA'19 in Montreal. C.S. Dai's paper won the Best Paper Award in Automation. (05/2019)

Y. Sun gave a plenary talk at IEEE NEMS'2019 in Bangkok, Thailand. (04/2019)

X. Wang's Science Robotics paper and M. Zhu's Nature Communications paper were accepted for publication. (03/2019)

NSERC CREATE Heathcare Robotics (HeRo) was granted by NSERC. (02/2019)

Lab rennovation, funded by Canada foundation for innovation (CFI), was completed. (01/2019)

Y. Sun was elected Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI). (12/2018)

AMNL presented three papers at MicroTAS'2018 in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. (11/2018)

Y. Sun gave an invited seminar in the Schaefer School of Engineering & Science at Stevens Institute of Technology. (10/2018)

C.H. Cao headed to MIT for his postdoctoral research. AMNL team wishes him the best. (09/2018)

W.K. Dou received a pretigious Ph.D. fellowship from the Ted Rogers Centre for Heart Research Education Fund. (08/2018)

AMNL won the Best Application Paper Award at the International Conference on Manipulation, Automation and Robotics at Small Scales (MARSS) in Nagoya, Japan. (07/2018)

Y. Sun accepted the role of Editor for the Elsevier journal, Sensors & Acutators A: Physical. (06/2018)

AMNL presented three papers at IEEE International Conf. Robotics and Automation (ICRA) in Brisbane, Australia. (05/2018)

J.H. Law won the Ontario Trillium Scholarship; G.Q. Shan won the Connaught International Scholarship; Y. Sun gave an invited seminar at the Univerity of Pennsylvania. (04/2018)

AMNL won the IEEE Transactions on Automation Science and Engineering Best New Application Paper Award. (03/2018)

C. Cao won an NSERC postdoctoral fellowship. His paper in Science Advances was accepted for publication. (02/2018)

AMNL won the UofT Connaught Innovation Award; H.J. Liu won the UPenn postdoctoral fellowship. (01/2018)

Event archives [more...]