Microfabricated structures for biomedical research

Authors

• NY Morgan
• W Wulftange
• M Villancio-Wolter

Abstract

Microfabricated devices with dimensions ranging from a few microns to a millimeter can now be routinely made out of biocompatible materials including glass, thermoplastics, elastomers, and hydrogels. Such devices can be particularly useful for cellular studies, defining microenvironments at lengthscales that mimic in vivo structures on platforms compatible with high-resolution optical imaging. This poster will discuss a few examples of devices made in our on-campus facility to highlight the potential range of applications, including: 1) a bioreactor system that uses a multiwell plate format, in which an oxygen-transmissive membrane, patterned with arrays of micropillars spaced at typical intercapillary distances, controls gas exchange for 3D cell culture; 2) A device designed to coencapsulate oocytes in core-shell hydrogel particles with granulosa and theca cells, to mimic the ovarian follicle environment; 3) devices for studying chemotaxis in 2D and 3D. In addition, we provide an overview of fabrication techniques and design considerations for researchers interested in using customized microdevices in their own work

Scientific Focus Area: Biomedical Engineering and Biophysics

This page was last updated on Friday, March 26, 2021