An Undergraduate Lab (on-a-Chip): Probing Single Cell Mechanics on a Microfluidic Platform

Abstract

The study of the mechanical behavior of cells is an active area of academic research and as such, is an increasingly important component of biomedical engineering education. However, in delivering engineering courses, practical experience with experimental cell mechanics is often challenging to provide for untrained undergraduate students, as the lab work involved is expensive, delicate and usually requires substantial experimental skill. This article reports the development of a novel lab experience for senior undergraduate students, for which a microfabricated system was designed and constructed to conduct micropipette aspiration of single cells. Application of the microfabricated system to measure the elastic modulus of primary heart valve fibroblasts produced results comparable to those made with a conventional micropipette aspiration system. The relative simplicity and affordability of the system made it accessible to undergraduate students in a laboratory course, who judged the lab as a strongly positive learning experience.

Rapid Prototyping of Arrayed Microfluidic Systems in Polystyrene for Cell-Based Assays

“…The major advances in microfluidics and recent progress in biological microelectromechanical systems (bioMEMS) can be largely attributed to the emergence of soft lithography as a fast, facile, and cost-effective method for microfabrication. , The ability to exploit the properties of elastomeric materials such as poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) for rapid prototyping of microscale systems has allowed scientists and engineers to employ iterative design processes to efficiently optimize microchannel configurations for diverse applications and across various disciplines (Figure ). − The simplicity and accessibility of soft lithography has also enabled a unique design methodology that is both precise and versatile, facilitating novel and creative experimental approaches to current problems in biology. The popularity of PDMS is due not only to its convenient fabrication process but also to a number of attractive physical and mechanical properties (e.g., optical transparency, permeability, and pliability) that have proven useful for various cell-based applications, ranging from the compartmentalization of cocultured cell types in complex geometries to the application of controlled mechanical and chemical stimuli on cells. − …”

Tensoresistor-Based Telemetric Strain-Gauge Lens-Less Detectors as Specialized Labs-on-a-Chip for Soil Mechanics and Foundation Monitoring

“…Biological or biomedical applications of mechanical measurements are also very "wide-field" on the cellular / tissue formation level [13][14][15][16][17]. Such measurements are usually based on the elastic microfluidics, including elastomeric one (which can be applied not only for biomicrofluidic aims [18,19]).…”

Lab-on-a-Chip: Frontier Science in the Classroom

“…Details about the different devices and techniques used can be found in Table . While many of these approaches address safety hazards, − ,, the long preparation times − ,,, and requirement for skilled specialists ,,,, can make their implementation cumbersome for schools. Rapid prototyping options are highly valued for the design and production of lab-on-a-chip solutions for design problems by students.…”