MiMicLab

Microscale engineering provides unprecedented opportunities to create cell culture microenvironments that go beyond standard bi- or three-dimensional in vitro models. It also allows great flexibility in the design of microfluidic devices, which can be tailored to the needs of individual cell types and/or cellular co-cultures. Their unique properties make microfluidic bioreactors ideal platforms for advanced cell culture, tissue culture or diagnostics: they are able to recapitulate critical tissue–tissue interfaces, spatiotemporal chemical gradients, and dynamic physical microenvironments of living systems. Recently, microfluidic organs-on-chip have allowed the engineering of in vitro cell microenvironments that resemble human tissue/organ functions found in vivo. This promising field is still in its infancy and leaves room for many exciting questions that need to be addressed. Organ-on-chip technology represents a breakthrough that promises improved alternatives to conventional cell culture models and animal testing.