A Microfluidic Device for Imaging Samples from Microbial Suspension Cultures

Letourneau, Alexander; Kegel, Jack; Al-Ramahi, Jehad; Yachinich, Emily; Krause, Harris B.; Stewart, Cameron J.; McClean, Megan N.

doi:10.1016/j.mex.2020.100891

Cited by 2 publications

(1 citation statement)

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“…A micropillar-based microfluidic system designed by other scientists was to perform dynamic fluid simulations to obtain wall shear stress and pressure within the device when used to grow 3D and 2D heart cell cultures, indicating that cardiomyocytes proliferate better in 3D than in 2D [25]. The effect of microchannel geometry on cell adhesion has been investigated by designing channels with sharp and curved turns and performing fluid dynamic simulations showing the uniform distribution of velocity and stress within curved-turn microchannels [26][27][28]. The effect of shear stress within the channels of different widths on the function of aortic valvular interstitial cells was studied, indicating that the magnitude of shear stress regulates cell morphology, phenotype transformation, and the formation of focal adhesion while the cells align in the direction of the flow [29,30].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Organ-on-a-Chip: Design and Simulation of Various Microfluidic Channel Geometries for the Influence of Fluid Dynamic Parameters

2022

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Shear stress, pressure, and flow rate are fluid dynamic parameters that can lead to changes in the morphology, proliferation, function, and survival of many cell types and have a determinant impact on tissue function and viability. Microfluidic devices are promising tools to investigate these parameters and fluid behaviour within different microchannel geometries. This study discusses and analyses different designed microfluidic channel geometries regarding the influence of fluid dynamic parameters on their microenvironment at specified fluidic parameters. The results demonstrate that in the circular microchamber, the velocity and shear stress profiles assume a parabolic shape with a maximum velocity occurring in the centre of the chamber and a minimum velocity at the walls. The longitudinal microchannel shows a uniform velocity and shear stress profile throughout the microchannel. Simulation studies for the two geometries with three parallel microchannels showed that in proximity to the micropillars, the velocity and shear stress profiles decreased. Moreover, the pressure is inversely proportional to the width and directly proportional to the flow rate within the microfluidic channels. The simulations showed that the velocity and wall shear stress indicated different values at different flow rates. It was also found that the width and height of the microfluidic channels could affect both velocity and shear stress profiles, contributing to the control of shear stress. The study has demonstrated strategies to predict and control the effects of these forces and the potential as an alternative to conventional cell culture as well as to recapitulate the cell- and organ-specific microenvironment.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Organ-on-a-Chip: Design and Simulation of Various Microfluidic Channel Geometries for the Influence of Fluid Dynamic Parameters

2022

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Design and implementation of a microfluidic device capable of temporal growth factor delivery reveal filtering capabilities of the EGFR/ERK pathway

et al. 2021

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Utilizing microfluidics to mimic the dynamic temporal changes of growth factor and cytokine concentrations in vivo has greatly increased our understanding of how signal transduction pathways are structured to encode extracellular stimuli. To date, these devices have focused on delivering pulses of varying frequency, and there are limited cell culture models for delivering slowly increasing concentrations of stimuli that cells may experience in vivo. To examine this setting, we developed and validated a microfluidic device that can deliver increasing concentrations of growth factor over periods ranging from 6 to 24 h. Using this device and a fluorescent biosensor of extracellular-regulated kinase (ERK) activity, we delivered a slowly increasing concentration of epidermal growth factor (EGF) to human mammary epithelial cells and surprisingly observed minimal ERK activation, even at concentrations that stimulate robust activity in bolus delivery. The cells remained unresponsive to subsequent challenges with EGF, and immunocytochemistry suggested that the loss of an epidermal growth factor receptor was responsible. Cells were then challenged with faster rates of change of EGF, revealing an increased ERK activity as a function of rate of change. Specifically, both the fraction of cells that responded and the length of ERK activation time increased with the rate of change. This microfluidic device fills a gap in the current repertoire of in vitro microfluidic devices and demonstrates that slower, more physiological changes in growth factor presentation can reveal new regulatory mechanisms for how signal transduction pathways encode changes in the extracellular growth factor milieu.

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A Microfluidic Device for Imaging Samples from Microbial Suspension Cultures

Cited by 2 publications

References 24 publications

Organ-on-a-Chip: Design and Simulation of Various Microfluidic Channel Geometries for the Influence of Fluid Dynamic Parameters

Organ-on-a-Chip: Design and Simulation of Various Microfluidic Channel Geometries for the Influence of Fluid Dynamic Parameters

Design and implementation of a microfluidic device capable of temporal growth factor delivery reveal filtering capabilities of the EGFR/ERK pathway

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