Design and Fabrication of Gradient Generating Microfluidic Micro-Incubator

University Of California-Irvine, Irvine CA

Investigators

Abstract

Design and Fabrication of Gradient Generating Microfluidic Micro-Incubator A grant has been awarded to Dr. Noo Li Jeon at University of California, Irvine to develop a microfluidic device that can generate gradients of biological molecules and is capable of culturing cells in well-controlled environments. Chemical gradients of biologically active molecules on surfaces and in solutions play important roles in many biological processes such as development, wound healing, and cancer. Recent advances in the field of microfabrication and soft lithography enable the fabrication devices that have structures of submicron dimensions. The purpose of this proposal is to develop a microfluidic device that is capable of generating gradients of active biological molecules that are controlled both spatially and temporally. This device, a microfluidic micro-incubator will be compatible with microscopy techniques and will allow long-term cell culture of a variety of cell types. By significantly improving the resolution and stability of gradients and actively controlling both the temporal and spatial gradients, the microfluidic micro-incubator developed in this study will provide new capabilities for in-situ observation and quantification of biological phenomena such as chemotaxis (neutrophils, T-cells, and metastatic cancer cells) and growth cone guidance of neurons. The ability to expose cells to both temporal and spatial gradients of growth factors and other biologically active compounds will be broadly useful in a number of biological research applications. The gradient generating microfluidic micro-incubator can be used in understanding how cells navigate in complex tissue environments and specifically in investigating the processes behind tumor metastasis, wound healing, and other biological processes. With further development, it is envisioned that the micro-incubator will find applications in development and testing of new drugs for wound healing, breast cancer metastasis, and others.