Abstract
Microfluidic Chip For In Vitro Neuronal Cell Culture Under Electrical Stimulation
Ana Ayerdi , Senior Researcher, Tecnalia Research & Innovation
A chip with a fluidic design that allows neuronal cell culture and axon growth monitoring was developed. This design consists of two separated chambers in which cells are seeded and allows the monitoring of axons outgrowth through the microchannels. Using industrial compatible processes, we have fabricated polymer shims and working stamps to manufacture such patterned surfaces both in a small scale plate to plate fashion as well as continuous high throughput roll-to-roll fabrication. The material choice allows for fluorescence microscopy imaging. The design was screened in vitro with different neuronal like cell lines and using several substrates that can be used for high throughput roll-to-roll manufacturing. The design is also compatible with a custom-made electrical stimulus generator. Neuronal cells respond to electrical stimulation in two ways: by increasing their cell size and by increasing the cell number in culture. With this approach chips that can be manufactured in a faster and roll to roll fabrication method for in vitro drug screening assays will be shown.
Ana Ayerdi , Senior Researcher, Tecnalia Research & Innovation
Ana Ayerdi, Ph.D. is a biochemist whose current research focuses on the understanding of the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying the cell response to biomaterials. She received her PhD in 2007 after conducting her research between the Valencias’s Biomedicine Institute at the Spanish Scientific Research Council (IBV-CSIC), the David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT, and the Montreal Neurological Institute (MNI). She joined Tecnalia’s Biomaterials group in 2008 and during this past 14 years she has been involved in more than 25 R+D projects, being 8 from the European commission (FP6, FP7 and H2020 programme). Her broaden research activity can be also evaluated by her papers and congress contributions.
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