Biomimetic Microengineered Devices: Organ-on-a-Chip
Recent advances in microsystems technology and tissue engineering have led to the development of organ-on-a-chip systems that can reconstitute organ-level function in vitro by mimicking natural tissue architecture and microenvironmental cues within microfluidic devices. Since the physiological microenvironments in living systems are mostly microfluidic in nature, microfluidic systems facilitate engineering of cellular microenvironments. The organ-on-a-chip systems could predict human responses to medicines and toxins by using living human cells and thus could provide an alternative to animal testing. The ultimate goal is to connect multiple organ chips fluidically to model organ-organ coupling and whole body physiology. This presentation will give an overview of organ-on-a-chip systems that use microfluidic approaches to recapitulate cellular microenvironments inside the body, including a bone marrow-on-a-chip system.
Before the seminar, Shiojiri Kaori-san (1st batch) will give a brief talk on her experience in studying abroad.