We are working with the Shestopalov group to silanize the nanoporous silicon nitride (NPN) membrane chip. In an ideal scenario, the silane would then be conjugated to PEG to ward off protein adsorption. In the presented work, we study protein adsorption on both the untreated and the silanized NPN chips using epifluorescence as the imaging modality….
Hi all, A while back we have shown that geltrex coating enhances the attachment of HUVEC on SiN membrane . Jim believes that geltrex may be extended an “all-purpose” coating to promote the adhesion of different cell types to the SiN membrane, but worries that the geltrex coating maybe too thick (e.g. tens of microns), which…
Hi all, A while back I have posted about my attempt to culture bEnd3 (mouse brain endothelial cell) underflow, which failed to maintain bEnd3 proliferation and did not promote alignment under flow. As an alternative/control, I switch the cell types to HUVEC (human umbilical cord endothelial cells), which is known to do well under flow….
Hi all, For the past one month I have been working on a height-based device for culturing bEnd3 (mouse brain endothelial cells) under flow. Ideally, this device is to constitute a blood brain barrier (BBB) mimetic. Device Full View (Front): The fluid flow is driven by hydrostatic pressure, created through the differences in the…
Hi all, Currently I am working on a cell culture system to mimic the blood-brain-barrier (BBB). Essentially, growing endothelial cells (bEnd3) on one side of the membrane, and pericyte and/or astrocyte on the other. Below is the layout of the cell culture system: a, b, c, and d are custom-cut silicone gaskets. f is the…
Hi all, Sometimes for flow modeling I assume all pores to be identical in size. However, since larger pores allow much higher passage of flow, the above assumption will generally underestimate the prediction of flow. Presented here is a simple example, base on the following pore distribution (obtained from a SEM image): Assuming all…
Hi all, Presented here is a prototype of an “all purpose” SiN chip system for use in cell studies. The reason it was called “all purpose” because it is intended for simple cell culture and migration/chemotaxis studies. This prototype is essentially a less complicated and cheaper version of the device that was showcased in our…
Hi all, This post showcase a simple (low-tech) alignment tool for assembling the different components of a microfluidic chamber. Essentially, the alignment pieces are made from two index papers cut using the Silhouette Cameo. The two cut index papers are bonded together using double-sided tapes. The square holes are where the membrane chips are to…
Hi all, i have to present for a biomechanics journal club meet next Friday (Jun/06/2014) and figured that i might as well double-dip the presentation. Currently i am leaning forward to present this article: Takano (Futai) microfld nanofld 2012 [pocket-sized cell culture] which showcased a pocket-sized, stand-alone device for cell culture. No need for…
Hi all, Today I would like to briefly mention the important parameters to consider when saturating a substrate with proteins by simple adsorption. More specifically, the concentration and time required to fully saturate a substrate ares estimated for systems with different geometry (see the PDF attachment): [NRG] surface adsoprtion The first-order approximations entailed in the above…