Master Theses

2023

Xintong Tong
Ingestible inertial measurement sensor for wireless monitoring of gastric motility
ETH Zurich, MIT Boston (Supervisors: Dr. S. You, Dr. C. A. Byrne, Prof. G. Traverso, Prof. A. Hierlemann)

Nora Benz
Effects of modulating interneuron activity throughout development
ETH Zurich (Supervisors: P. Hornauer, Dr. M. Schröter, Prof. A. Hierlemann)

Rachel Sava
A novel platform for high-throughput synaptic plasticity induction on high-density microelectrode arrays
ETH Zurich (Supervisors: Dr. J. Bartram, Dr. F. Cardes, Dr. S. Kumar, Prof. A. Hierlemann)

Aayush Marishi
Exploring the electrophysiological effects of NOS1AP overexpression in primary neuronal cultures of rats using high-density microelectrode arrays
Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main, ETH Zurich (Supervisors: Dr. H. Ulusan, Dr. F. Cardes, Prof. A. Hierlemann, Prof. Florian Freudenberg)  

Takashi Graf von Normann-Ehrenfels
Tumor-on-chip: A microfluidic platform to culture biopsied tissue slices
ETH Zurich (Supervisors: J. Petr, Dr. M. Modena, Prof. A. Hierlemann)  

Hasitha Vihanga Senevirathne
Ex-vivo microfluidic platform for culturing human liver tissue slices for applications in precision medicine
University of Glasgow, ETH Zurich (Supervisors: J. Petr, Dr. C. Gonzalez-Garcia, Prof. A. Hierlemann, Prof. D. Gourdon) 

Alex Erich Landolt
Electrochemical sensing and impedance measurements under static conditions and in dynamic hanging-drop networks using an integrated CMOS microelectrode array
ETH Zurich (Supervisors: R. Bounik, Dr. M. Modena, Prof. A. Hierlemann)  

2022

Jad Hanna
Transmembrane electroplasmonic nanoantennas for wireless electrophysiology in 3D Environments
ETH Zurich, MIT Boston, MA, USA (Supervisors: Prof. D. Sarkar, Prof. A. Hierlemann)

Isabel Wegner
Integration of human stem cell-based embryoid bodies into a microfluidic multi-tissue platform for systemic embryotoxicity testing
Universität Regensburg, ETH Zurich (Supervisors: Dr. J. Boos, Prof. A. Hierlemann)

Svenja Lützow
Body-on-a-chip: Towards an immune-competent microphysiological system for the testing of cancer-immunotherapeutic approaches
RWTH Aachen, ETH Zurich (Supervisors: Dr. Christian Lohasz, Prof. A. Hierlemann)

Tamara Häfeli
Functional characterization of interaction of immune cells and 3D spheroids in a microfluidic system
ETH Zurich, InSphero AG (Supervisors: Dr. O. Frey, Dr. L. Hoelting, Prof. A. Hierlemann)

Isabelle Feller
The role of UBE3A in functional human network development and oscillatory dynamics

ETH Zurich (Supervisors: Dr. M. Schröter, Prof. A. Hierlemann)

Ebrahim Azizi
Compressive sensing applied to HD-MEA recordings of neural cultures.
Politecnico di Milano, ETH Zurich (Supervisors: Dr. F. Cardes, Prof. A. Hierlemann)

Xuqing Zhang
Study of stimulus-induced STDP in in-vitro neural networks with high-density MEA
ETH Zurich (Supervisors: X. Xue, Dr. F. Cardes, Prof. A. Hierlemann)

Alessandro Forastiere
Monitoring in-vitro neural dynamics using high-density microelectrode arrays
Politecnico di Torino, ETH Zurich (Supervisors: Dr. H. Ulusan, Dr. F. Cardes, Prof. A. Hierlemann)

Neethu Maliakal
Development of characterization platform for passive microelectrode arrays and neuronal culture distribution
ETH Zurich (Supervisors: C. Bui, Dr. F. Cardes, Prof. A. Hierlemann)

Alireza Raisiardali
Design and synthesis of digital circuits for microelectrode arrays in 180nm CMOS technology & real-time stimulation artifact removal
Politecnico di Milano, KU Leuven, ETH Zurich (Supervisors: Dr. H. Ulusan, Dr. F. Cardes, Prof. A. Hierlemann)

Odysseas Chaliotis
Establishment of a transwell-based microfluidic device for PK-PD studies on bladder tissues
EPF Lausanne, ETH Zurich (Supervisors: A. Kurmashev, Dr. J. Boos, Prof. A. Hierlemann)

2021

Aitor del Rivero Cortazar
Microelectronic design of a pseudo voltage clamp for a 0.18um CMOS-based mesoscale neural interface for intracellular in-vitro recording and stimulation.
TU Delft, ETH Zurich (Supervisors: Dr. H. Ulusan, Dr. F. Cardes, Prof. A. Hierlemann)

Eliane Duperrex
Drug testing on cardiomyocytes derived from human-induced pluripotent stem cells of a short-QT-syndrome type 5 patient using CMOS high-density microelectrode arrays.

ETH Zurich (Supervisors: J. Lee, Prof. A. Hierlemann)

Chloé Magnan
Development of a data acquisition platform for in-vitro experiments with multi-functional high-density microelectrode arrays.

Centrale Supélec, University of Paris-Saclay, ETH Zurich (Supervisors: Dr. H. Ulusan, Dr. F. Cardes, Prof. A. Hierlemann)

Payam S. Shabestari
Improving spike sorting performance of bursting neurons

Polytechnic University of Milan, ETH Zurich (Supervisors: Dr. A. Buccino, Dr. S. Kumar, Prof. A. Hierlemann)

Mattia Randazzo
Investigating independent-component-analysis-based strategies to improve spike sorting performance for high-density microelectrode arrays

Polytechnic University of Milan, ETH Zurich (Supervisors: Dr. A. Buccino, Prof. A. Hierlemann)

Diane Blaser
Development of algorithms to characterize axon-initial-segment plasticity by means of high-density microelectrode arrays
University of Lausanne, ETH Zurich (Supervisors: Dr. V. Emmenegger, Dr. S. Ronchi, Dr. S. Kumar, Prof. A. Hierlemann)

Lena Schmaus
Optimizing procedures to induce axon-initial-segment relocation using electrical stimulation

USI Università della Svizzera italiana, ETH Zurich (Supervisors: Dr. V. Emmenegger, Dr. S. Ronchi, S. Kumar, Prof. A. Hierlemann)

Vinay Kamuju
Development of an in-vitro human serum model to evaluate the stability of therapeutic proteins and excipients
Lonza AG, Visp / ETH Zurich (Supervisors: Dr. R. Mathaes, Lonza AG, Switzerland, Prof. A. Hierlemann)

2020

Jeanne Droux
Spatiotemporal 2-whisker tuning in mouse primary somatosensory cortex
ETH Zurich / UC Berkeley (Supervisors: Prof. D. Feldman, UC Berkeley, USA, Prof. A. Hierlemann)

Francesco Grassi
Development of a fully integrated impedance-based platform for in-vitro antischistosomal pharmacodynamics analysis 
Politecnico di Torino / ETH Zurich (Supervisors: P. S. Ravaynia, Dr. M. M. Modena, Prof. A. Hierlemann)

Giulia Brunoldi
Placenta on-a-chip: Integrating a physiological placenta model into the metaEST platform
ETH Zurich (Supervisors: J. Boos, Prof. A. Hierlemann)

Marc Büttner
Classification of Retinal Ganglion Cells based on electrical responses recorded with High-Density Microelectrode Arrays
BCCN Berlin / TU Berlin / ETH Zurich (Supervisors: Prof. F. Franke, Prof. K. Obermayer, Prof. A. Hierlemann)

Bram Servais
Co-culture of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia and hepatocytes for personalised drug screening
Katholieke Universiteit Leuven / ETH Zurich (Supervisors: F. Gökçe, Prof. A. Hierlemann, Prof. Jeroen Lammertyn)

Patricia Wu Jin
A microfluidic hanging-drop based islet perifusion system for studying glucose-stimulated insulin secretion from single pancreatic islets in parallel
ETH Zurich (Supervisors: Dr. P. Misun, Prof. A. Hierlemann)

Nikhita Baladari
Oscillator based Analog-to-Digital Converter for Action Potential Readout in Microelectrode Arrays
TU Delft / ETH Zurich (Supervisors: Dr. F. Cardes, Prof. A. Hierlemann)

Claudia Anibaldi
Extraction and analysis of intracellular and extracellular features from poly-GA-expressing neurons as a tool to investigate G4C2 effects in C9ORF72-mediated ALS disease

Università di Roma "La Sapienza" / ETH Zurich (Supervisors: S. Ronchi, Prof. A. Hierlemann)

2019

Gustavo Prack
Studying the electrophysiological phenotype of healthy and diseased human dopaminergic neurons with HD-MEAs

University of Basel / ETH Zurich (Supervisors: Dr. M. Schröter, Prof. A. Hierlemann, Prof. H. Stahlberg)

Taehoon Kim
Combining microelectrode array recordings and single-cell sequencing to study neuronal homeostasis

ETH Zurich (Supervisors: Dr. M. Schröter, Prof. A. Hierlemann, Prof. K. E. Stephan)

Idil Karakoç
Towards a human body-on-a-chip model of liver and islet metabolic diseases

ETH Zurich (Supervisors: Dr. O. Frey, InSphero AG, Prof. A. Hierlemann)

Erika Petrak
USB 3.0 data acquisition setup for high-density multifunctional microelectrode arrays

ETH Zurich (Supervisors: R. Diggelmann, Dr. V. Viswam, Prof. A. Hierlemann)

Camilla Marchetti
Single-neuron electrical stimulation with CMOS-based high-density microelectrode arrays
University of Rome "La Sapienza" / ETH Zurich (Supervisors: S. Ronchi, Prof. A. Hierlemann)

2018

Monika Girr
Investigating the emergence of spontaneous neuronal activity in mouse cerebral organoids
University of Zurich / ETH Zurich (Supervisors: Dr. M. Schröter, Prof. A. Hierlemann, Prof. M. Schwab)

Flavio Bonanini
Body on a chip: Towards an in vitro biotransformation assay to study liver-mediated cytotoxicity of prodrugs on tumor microtissues
ETH Zurich (Supervisors: C. Lohasz, Dr. K. Renggli, Prof. A. Hierlemann)

Erika Petrak
USB 3.0 Data acquisition setup for high-density multifunctional microelectrode arrays
ETH Zurich (Supervisors: Dr. V. Viswam, R. Diggelmann, Prof. A. Hierlemann)

Cedar Urwyler
Electrical impedance tomography on high-density microelectrode arrays
ETH Zurich (Supervisors: Dr. V. Viswam, Prof. A. Hierlemann)

Noelle Leary
Electrophysiological characterization of human iPSC-derived neurons using a high-resolution microelectrode array
University of Zurich / ETH Zurich (Supervisors: Prof. B. Grewe, Dr. M Fiscella, Prof. A. Hierlemann)

Massimiliano Gusmaroli
Integration of a custom-designed microfabricated sensor chip into hanging-drop networks for microtissue analysis
Polytechnic University of Turin & ETH Zurich (Supervisors: Dr. M. Modena, R. Bounik, Prof. A. Hierlemann)

Amir M. Ghafari
Development of electrochemical biosensors for the detection of protein biomarkers in cell-culture supernatant
Noshirvani University of Technology, Iran / ETH Zurich (Supervisors: Dr. M. Modena, Prof. A. Hierlemann)

2017

Deeke Ehmen
Small molecules in microfluidics
ETH Zurich (Supervisors: Dr. O Frey, Dr. K. Renggli, F. Rudolf)

Astrid Michlmayr
Adding metabolism to the embryonic stem cell test within a microfluidic platform
Fachhochschule Krems / ETH Zurich (Supervisors: Dr. O Frey, Dr. K. Renggli, Prof. A. Hierlemann)

Battist Utinger
Modular hydrogel system as synthetic extracellular matrix for the hanging drop network

University of Basel / ETH Zurich (Supervisors: Dr. K. Renggli, Prof. A. Hierlemann)

Eugene Christo
Comparison of dose-response curves of anti-tumor drugs on colon cancer models cultured in traditional set-ups and body-on-a-chip tilting platform

Anna University, India / ETH Zurich (Supervisors: Dr. K. Renggli, C. Lohasz, Prof. A. Hierlemann)

Martina de Geus
A flow- and metabolism-based drug screening platform for patient leukemia samples
ETH Zurich (Supervisors: A. Kaestli, Dr. K. Renggli, Prof. A. Hierlemann)

Leonardo Garma
Extracellular stimulation system for the modification of network parameters in cultured neural networks
ETH Zurich (Supervisors: Dr. M. Fiscella, Prof. A. Hierlemann)

2016

Christopher Renn
An investigation of the use of pseudo-large electrodes in microelectrode arrays
ETH Zurich (Supervisors: J. Dragas, Prof. A. Hierlemann)

Julia Boos
metaEST – Adding metabolism to the embryonic stem cell test: the effect of flow on embryoid body formation
ETH Zurich (Supervisors: Dr. O. Frey, A. Birchler, Prof. A. Hierlemann)

Felix Forschler
Microfluidic assay development for 3D liver microtissue and pancreatic microislet interaction
ETH Zurich (Supervisors: P. Misun, Prof. A. Hierlemann)

Elise Aeby
Microfluidic platform enabling culture of spheroids trapped in hydrogel microdrops for high-resolution microscopy
ETH Zurich (Supervisors: Dr. O. Frey, P. Misun, Prof. A. Hierlemann)

2015

Axel Birchler
Improved handling of hanging-drop networks for stem cell applications
ETH Zurich (Supervisors: Dr. O. Frey, Prof. A. Hierlemann)

Michael Altermatt
Frequency-dependent modulation of signaling in mammalian axons
ETH Zurich (Supervisors: M. Radivojevic, Prof. A. Hierlemann)

Eneva Radostina
Localized fluorescence in-situ hybridization with a microfluidic probe
ETH Zurich (Supervisors: Dr. G. Kaigala, IBM Zurich, Prof. A. Hierlemann)

Xinyue Yuan
Circuit analysis and optimization of CMOS-based microelectrode arrays
ETH Zurich (Supervisors: Dr. U. Frey, Riken, Kobe, Japan, Prof. A. Hierlemann)

Dzhihan Ahmedov
Hardware platform for high-throughput real-time spike sorting in multi-electrode neuronal recordings
ETH Zurich (Supervisors: J. Dragas, Prof. A. Hierlemann)

Roland Schlatter
SpheroFLUX: 3D spheroid tlting device development for commercial use
ETH Zurich (Supervisors: Dr. O. Frey, Dr. J-Y. Kim, Prof. A. Hierlemann)

Jing Lin
Automated system for high-throughput analysis of neuronal function
ETH Zurich (Supervisors: Dr. M. E. Obien, Dr. U. Frey, Riken, Kobe, Japan, Prof. A. Hierlemann)

Saeed Rismani Yazdi
Towards parallel and automated hanging-drop networks: Integration of a hanging-drop pump
Politecnico di Milano / ETH Zurich (Supervisors: Dr. O. Frey, Prof. A. Hierlemann)

Derk Wild
Characterization of retinal ganglion cell activity in transgenic mice
ETH Zurich (Supervisors: Dr. M. Fiscella, Prof. A. Hierlemann)

Laurin Diener
Development of a multiplexed automated electrical impedance measurement patform
ETH Zurich (Supervisors: S. Buergel, Prof. A. Hierlemann)

2014

Imran Fanaswala
Towards modeling single neurons using extracellular action potentials
ETH Zurich (Supervisors: Dr. U. Frey, Riken, Kobe, Japan, Prof. A. Hierlemann)

Jichang Zhang
Screening genes involved in hibernation in hamster via RNA-Seq
ETH Zurich (Supervisors: Dr. T. Russell, Prof. A. Hierlemann)

Yannick Schmid
Electrical impedance spectroscopy in hanging-drop networks
ETH Zurich (Supervisors: Dr. O. Frey, Prof. A. Hierlemann)

Mirjam Baechler
Optimization of a microfluidic chip and set-up of an image analysis pipeline to quantitatively study growth and stress within the cell cycle of S. pombe
ETH Zurich (Supervisors: Dr. O. Frey, Prof. A. Hierlemann)

Ruobo Peng
A MEA-integrated microfluidic system enabling capture, addressable release, and impedance detection of single particles
ETH Zurich (Supervisor: Dr. Z. Zhu, Prof. A. Hierlemann)

Deepthi Kamath Mangalore
Surface engineered microdevices for self aliquoting and screening applications
Erasmus Mundus (Supervisors: G. Schmidt, Prof. A. Hierlemann)

2013

Oliver With
Microfluidic sensor using resonance frequency modulation for characterization of single cells
ETH Zurich (Supervisors: N. Haandbaek, Prof. A. Hierlemann)

Patrick Misun
Hanging microfluidics: Reconfigurable hanging-drop network enabling fabrication, culturing and interaction of spherical microtissues
ETH Zurich (Supervisors: Dr. O. Frey, Prof. A. Hierlemann)

Matthias Rüdt
Studies on multilayer micropost array
ETH Zurich (Supervisors: Prof. B. Pruitt, Dr. A. Ribeiro, Stanford University, Prof. A. Hierlemann)

Prateek Singh
Semi-automated microfluidic culture device for spherical microtissues
University of Oulu, Finland (Supervisors: Dr. O. Frey, Prof. A. Hierlemann)

Fabian Hilti
Equivalent circuit modeling of single-cell electroporation
ETH Zurich (Supervisors: S. Bürgel, Prof. A. Hierlemann)

2012

Andreas Steiner
Mushroom-shaped microelectrodes on CMOS microelectrode arrays for multisite intracellular recordings
ETH Zurich (Supervisors: A. Stettler, M. Lewandowska, Dr. O. Frey, Prof. A. Hierlemann)

Soumyaranjan Mohanty
Body on a chip: Validation of the viability of spherical microtissues in microfluidic systems
TU Kaiserslautern / ETH Zurich (Supervisors: Dr. O. Frey, Prof. A. Hierlemann)

Bakul Jitendra Vinchhi
Low-noise current readout circuit for neurotransmitter detection
KU Leuven, Belgium / ETH Zurich (Supervisors: A. Shadmani, Dr. Y. Chen, Prof. A. Hierlemann)

Alphonse Vial
In-situ comparable culture and transfection of single yeast cells on a microfluidic device
FHNW Basel / ETH Zurich (Supervisors: Z. Zhu, Dr. O. Frey, Prof. A. Hierlemann)

Christian Steinbring
Long-term impedance measurements of single yeast cells utilizing cyclic flow reversal
University of Basel / ETH Zurich (Supervisors: S. Bürgel, Prof. A. Hierlemann)

Andrea Bonetti
Low-Power and Compact Successive Approximation ADC for Bio-electronic Chips
Politecnico di Milano, Italy / ETH Zurich (Supervisors: Dr. Y. Chen, P. Meinerzhagen, Prof. A. Hierlemann)

Lei Lei
Characterizing single-cell impedance spectroscopy on a microfluidic cell-immobilization chip
ETH Zürich (Supervisors: Z. Zhu, Prof. A. Hierlemann)

2011

Veerendra Kalyan Jagannadh
Automated characterization of electrodes in a CMOS-based microeectrode array
Birla Institute of Technology & Science, India / ETH Zürich (Supervisors: M. Ballini, V. Viswam, Dr. D. Bakkum, Prof. A. Hierlemann)

Adrian Nievergelt
Cyclic long-term single-cell impedance spectroscopy of spatially separated samples in liquid
ETH Zürich (Supervisors: S. Bürgel, Prof. A. Hierlemann)

Zeno Schumacher
Microfluidic impedance spectroscopy scanner for microtissues
ETH Zürich (Supervisors: Dr. O. Frey, Prof. A. Hierlemann)

2010

Yan Sun
Analog / Ddgital interface for high-density microelectrode array system
KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden / ETH Zürich (Supervisors: J. Müller, D. Jäckel, Prof. A. Hierlemann)

Muhammad Usman Khalid
FPGA-based spike sorting for high-density MEAs
KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden / ETH Zürich (Supervisors: J. Müller, D. Jäckel, Prof. A. Hierlemann)

Mark Homenuke
Microfluidics for single-cell impedance spectroscopy
ETH Zürich (Supervisors: Dr. N. Goedecke, Prof. A. Hierlemann)

Darong Fan
Design and characterization of a CMOS temperature sensor
Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden / ETH Zürich (Supervisors: M. Ballini, Prof. A. Hierlemann)

Tushant Singh
Impedance spectroscopy of yeast cells
Birla Institute of Technology & Science, India / ETH Zürich (Supervisors: Dr. N. Goedecke, Prof. A. Hierlemann)

2009

Jan Müller
High-resolution measurements of brain tissue conductivity
ETH Zürich (Supervisors: Dr. U. Frey, M. Ballini, Prof. A. Hierlemann)

2008

Thomas Lanz
Verification of single-cell impedance spectroscopy against an optical reference measurement
ETH Zürich (Supervisors: Dr. S. Hafizovic, Prof. A. Hierlemann)

Jörg Rothe
Single-cell impedance spectroscopy
ETH Zürich (Supervisors: Dr. S. Hafizovic, Dr. F. Heer, Prof. A. Hierlemann)

Theses at the Physical Electronics Laboratory (PEL)

2007

Ueli Wahlen
Real-time spike sorting for high-density recordings of neuronal cells
ETH Zürich (Supervisors: Dr. U. Frey, Prof. A. Hierlemann)

Manuel Keller
CMOS electrochemical sensor array for point-of-care diagnosis and genotyping of diseases
ETH Zürich (Supervisors: Dr. F. Heer, Prof. A. Hierlemann)

Ralf Streichan
Optimierung eines Mikrosystems für Zellanalyse
Fachhochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft, Berlin (Supervisors: Dr. N. Goedecke, Prof. A. Hierlemann)

2006

Stéphane Kühne
CMOS-compatible wafer-level fabrication of microhotplate-based gas sensors
ETH Zurich (Supervisors: Dr. M. Graf, Sensirion AG, Prof. A. Hierlemann)

Tobias Suter
Untersuchungen zur Gasabhängigkeit eines mikrothermischen CMOS-Durchflusssensors
ETH Zürich (Supervisor: Prof. A. Hierlemann)

2005

Emanuel Schmid
Simultaneous quartz crystal microbalance and surface plasmon resonance sensing on the same sensor crystal
Lund Tekniska Högskolan, Lund, Sweden / ETH Zurich (Supervisor: Prof. A. Hierlemann)

Livia Seemann
Microfluidic platform for parallel cell-based sensing
ETH Zurich (Supervisors: Dr. J. Lichtenberg, F. Greve, Prof. A. Hierlemann)

Andrea Agnes
Fast AD-converter for readout of multi-electrode arrays
Uni Pavia, Italy / ETH Zürich (Supervisors: Dr. K.-U. Kirstein, Prof. A. Hierlemann)

René Pedron
Auslese-Elektronik für high-density Neurochip
ETH Zurich (Supervisors: U. Frey, Prof. A. Hierlemann)

Stefan Rosanelli
Microfluidic medium and reagent delivery system for CMOS-based microchips
TU Graz, Austria / ETH Zurich (Supervisors: F. Greve, Prof. A. Hierlemann)

Stefan Schild
A silicon bulk-micromachined gyroscope
ETH Zurich (Supervisors: Prof. Dr. O. Brand, Georgia Tech, Atlanta, USA, Prof. A. Hierlemann)

Olivier Frey
Autonomous multi-channel system for polymerase chain reaction

ETH Zurich (Supervisors: Dr. J. Lichtenberg, Prof. A. Hierlemann)

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