Ph.D., University of Florida; Postdoc, University of Virginia

Bioanalytical/Chemical Biology

The Roper laboratory develops new methods and techniques in order to investigate biological signaling. Our main biological interest is how the secretion and coupling of islets of Langerhans contribute to proper glucose clearance in the body. The reason why we are interested in the biology of glucose handling is that defects in this process are associated with metabolic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes.

We have developed multiplexed electrophoretic immunoassays to simultaneously measure the release of insulin, glucagon, and islet amyloid polypeptide from islets of Langerhans. We are now incorporating these assays on microfluidic devices using novel optical detection tools to increase the temporal resolution of peptide release. Figure 1 shows a microfluidic device used to measure secretion of peptides from islets of Langerhans. A blue and red laser are incident on the device giving it the purple color.

C. A. Baker, M. G. Roper Online coupling of digital microfluidic devices with mass spectrometry detection using an eductor with electrospray ionization Anal. Chem. 2012, DOI: 10.1021/ac300100b Y. Yu, B. Li, C. A. Baker, X. Zhang, M. G. Roper Quantitative polymerase chain reaction using infrared heating on a microfluidic chip Anal. Chem. 2012, DOI: 10.1021/ac203307h C. T. Duong, M. G. Roper A microfluidic device for the automated derivatization of free fatty acids to fatty acid methyl esters Analyst 2012, 137, 840-846 X. Zhang, A. Daou, T. M. Truong, R. Bertram, M. G. Roper Synchronization of mouse islets of Langerhans by glucose waveforms Am. J. Physiol. Endocrinol. Metab. 2011, 301, E742-E747

C. Guillo, T. M. Truong, M. G. Roper Simultaneous capillary electrophoresis competitive immunoassay for insulin, glucagon, and islet amyloid polypeptide secretion from mouse islets of Langerhans J. Chromatogr. A 2011, 1218, 4059-4064