Microfabrication for Biomedical Research

Authors

• CB Darden
• S Ramos-Maciel
• N Westcott
• AJ Kesner

Abstract

The use of microfabricated and microfluidic structures in biomedical research continues to expand, but many research applications for these devices require customization, and new applications typically require several design iterations for troubleshooting and optimization. These devices, with length scales ranging from a few microns to a few millimeters, can be particularly useful for controlling cellular environments, either for improved culture models, mechanistic studies, or downstream analysis. We describe our collaborative process in designing, making, and using these structures with an example project, and then discuss in detail a few other examples, including the development of a high-density axonal isolation culture chamber currently in use by several IRP groups, and microfluidic encapsulation protocols to enable the selective analysis of rare cells using downstream sorting. We will also discuss recent efforts to develop vascular models aimed at understanding the interplay of shear forces and vessel geometry on endothelial cells.

Scientific Focus Area: Biomedical Engineering and Biophysics

This page was last updated on Monday, September 25, 2023