Leveraging microfluidics to enhance in vitro experimentation with cells and tissue

Organs-on-chips (OOC) are microfluidic systems containing natural or engineered mammalian tissues that allow organ (patho)physiology to be imitated in vitro. These systems are generally more complex than commonly used formats such as microwell plates, both from a cell biological and cell microenvironment perspective. Culturing cells or tissues in a network of microchambers and microchannels allows flows of cell medium for improved incubation, including constant nutrient delivery and waste removal. The fluid handling control that is inherent to microfluidics has also been exploited to develop dynamic experiments in which conditions are changed precisely over time. It becomes possible, for instance, to precisely administer different doses of drugs or other compounds to the organ model in a continuous fashion, to determine optimal dosage regimes. This presentation will take a look at how manual experimentation in the lab has been transposed to the microfluidic format. In addition, I will consider the different ways we can apply this microfluidic toolbox to enhancing cell and tissue culture and analysis.