Connolly, Sinéad Dr.

Sinéad Connolly

Postdoc, Jan. 2022 to Dec. 2023

Research Interests

We are employing Fluid FM to pick and place single cells and spheroids for the construction of neural networks. FluidFM, a technology developed at LBB and commercialised by external page Cytosurge, consists of a hollow AFM cantilever. Positive and negative pressures can be applied in the cantilever and used to pick up and put down single cells while the force sensitivity ensures that the cells are handled gently to minimise damage. This method is shown in the video below.

Despite its size, FluidFM can also be used to pick and place larger spheroids in defined formations.

Currently seeking highly motivated students from multidiciplinary backgrounds. Check out the project descriptions external page here. Alternatively, please send on your CV, if you have an interest in the above research.

Biography

Sinéad was born and raised in Ireland. She obtained a Bachelor of Engineering in Biomedical Engineering in 2016 from the University of Limerick, Ireland. She then went on to complete her PhD in biomicrofluidics in the Unversity of Limerick under the supervision of Dr. David Newport and Dr. Kieran McGourty. Her thesis was entitled 'external page Towards the understanding of the behaviour of deformable cells in in vitro microfluidic environments for the development of ex vivo diagnostics and treatments'.

Sinéad joined LBB in 2022, and her project involves using FluidFM to pick and place single cells and spheroids for the construction of neural networks.

Publications

Vuille-dit-Bille, E., Deshmukh, D. V., Connolly, S., Heub, S., Boder-Pasche, S., Dual, J., Tibbitt, M. W., Weder, G. (2022). ‘Tools for manipulation and positioning of microtissues’, Lab on a Chip, 22, 4043-4066. DOI: external page 10.1039/d2lc00559j.
Connolly, S., Newport, D., McGourty, K. (2021). ‘Cell specific variation in viability in suspension in in vitro Poiseuille flow conditions’, Scientific Reports, 11, 13997-14017. DOI: external page 10.1038/s41598-021-91865-1.
Malijauskaite, S., Connolly, S., Newport, D., McGourty, K. (2021). ‘Gradients in the in vivo intestinal stem cell compartment and their in vitro recapitulation in mimetic platforms’, Cytokine and Growth Factor Reviews, 60, 76-88. DOI: external page 10.1016/j.cytogfr.2021.03.002.
Connolly, S., McGourty, K., Newport, D. (2021). ‘The influence of cell elastic modulus on inertial positions in Poiseuille microflows', Biophysical Journal, 120(5), 855-865. DOI: external page 10.1016/j.bpj.2021.01.026.
Foley, S., Geaney, H., Kennedy, T., Bree, G., McCarthy, K., Connolly, S., Mukherjee, S., Zaworotko, M., Ryan, K. (2021). ‘Tin-based oxide, alloy and selenide Li-ion battery anodes derived from a bimetallic metal-organic material’, Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 125(2), 1180-1189. DOI: external page 10.1021/acs.jpcc.0c06395.
Connolly, S., Newport, D., McGourty, K. (2020). ‘The mechanical responses of advecting cells in confined flow’, Biomicrofluidics, 14(3). DOI: external page 10.1063/5.0005154.
Connolly, S., McGourty, K., Newport, D. (2020). ‘The in vitro inertial positions and viability of cells in suspension under different in vivo flow conditions’, Scientific Reports, 10, 1711-1723. DOI: external page 10.1038/s41598-020-58161-w.
Foley, S., Geaney, H., Bree, G., Stokes, K., Connolly, S., Zaworotko, M. J., Ryan, K. M. (2018). ‘Copper sulfide (CuxS) nanowire-in-carbon composites formed from direct sulfurization of the metal-organic framework HKUST-1 and their use as Li-ion battery cathodes’, Advanced Functional Materials, 28(19). DOI: external page 10.1002/adfm.201800587.