Project leaders: A. Studart, F. Scheffold

Team: H.-A. Klok, B. Rothen-Rutishauser

Organ-on-a-chip devices have been widely exploited to study biological systems using microfluidic platforms. Microfluidics usually uses flow to generate changes in the local chemistry of the culture medium. Flow can lead to dynamic physiological changes within and around living tissues by creating chemical gradients, such as in chemotaxis/haptotaxis. However, flow complicates the understanding of the roles of biomolecules in pathogenic, differentiation and therapeutic cellular processes. Thus, this project will exploit colloidal shuttling approaches for the in situ controlled delivery of biochemicals in organ-on-a-chip devices that can potentially open unanticipated perspectives to study the complex dynamics underlying the interactions of living cells and synthetic materials.