Bio-Inspired Microfluidics Platform for Biomechanical Analysis

Descripción del proyecto

Una nueva forma de estudiar los efectos de las fuerzas de empuje y atracción en estructuras biológicas diminutas

La señalización celular interviene en funciones tan diversas como el desarrollo, la percepción sensorial, la regulación génica y la inmunidad. Nuestra comprensión sobre las señales químicas y eléctricas como las que subyacen a la transmisión sináptica ha aumentado considerablemente con el uso de los sistemas de modelos. Sin embargo, esclarecer las interacciones biomecánicas de importancia crítica para los procesos biológicos es un proceso lento, en parte debido a la carencia de métodos sofisticados para estudiarlas. Bio-Plan está desarrollando una plataforma pionera para satisfacer esta necesidad. Esta aprovecha unas estructuras biomiméticas diminutas, el control preciso del flujo de fluidos a su alrededor y, evidentemente, unos sensores sumamente sensibles para medir las fuerzas posteriores a las que se someten. El sistema podría suponer un cambio de paradigma en nuestra comprensión sobre la hidrodinámica y las fuerzas mecánicas que intervienen en los procesos biológicos básicos.

Objetivo

Biomechanical interactions between cells and their environment are essential in almost any biological process, from embryonic development to organ function to diseases. Hence, biomechanical interactions are crucial for health and disease. Examples are hydrodynamic interactions through fluid flow, and forces acting directly on cells. Existing methods to analyze and understand these interactions are limited however, since they do not offer the required combination of precisely controlled flow and accurate applying and sensing of forces. Also, they often lack a physiological environment. A breakthrough in biomechanical analysis is therefore highly needed. We will realize a novel microfluidic platform for biomechanical analysis with unprecedented possibilities of controlling fluid flow and applying and sensing time-dependent forces at subcellular scales in controlled environments. The platform will be uniquely based on bio-inspired magnetic artificial cilia, rather than on conventional microfluidic valves and pumps. Cilia are microscopic hairs ubiquitously present in nature, acting both as actuators and sensors, essential for swimming of microorganisms, transport of dirt out of our airways, and sensing of sound, i.e. they exactly fulfill functions needed in biomechanical analysis. We will develop novel materials and fabrication methods to realize microscopic polymeric artificial cilia, and integrate these in microfluidic devices. Magnetic actuation and optical readout systems complete the platform. We will apply the novel platform to address three fundamental and unresolved biomechanical questions: 1. How do hydrodynamic interactions with actuated cilia steer cellular and particle transport? 2. How do local and dynamic mechanical forces on cells fundamentally influence their motility and differentiation? 3. How do hydrodynamic interactions between cilia steer embryonic development? This unique platform will enable to address many other future biomechanical questions.