Microfluidics
Collaborating with the group of Daniel Chiu at the University of Washington we are developing a microfluidic platform to stimulate and measure multiple cells at once in a network. The objective is to develop simple nerve cell networks to reflect communication between cells in the brain. An important aspect of this work is to stimulate multiple cells at once so we can look at complex patterns of communication. As part of this project, we are developing electrode arrays to monitor exocytosis and both ratiometric and lifetime fluorescence measurements for cell activity and changes in cell chemistry near active cells in the network. Optodes will be integrated into this as well. As part of this project we plant to develop a simplified in vitro model of Parkinson’s disease and possibly Alzheimer’s.
Relevant publications:
Flow Characterization of a Microfluidic Device to Selectively and Reliably Apply Reagents to a Cellular Network, M.F. Santillo, I.G. Arcibal, A.G. Ewing, Lab on a Chip, 7 (2007), 1212-1215. [RSC]
