The fields of microfluidics and BioMEMS are significantly impacting cell biology research and applications through the application of engineering solutions to human disease and health problems. The dimensions of microfluidic channels are well suited to the physical scale of biological cells, and the many advantages of microfluidics make it an attractive platform for new techniques in biology. This new professional reference applies the techniques of microsystems to cell culture applications. The authors provide a thoroughly practical guide to the principles of microfluidic device design and operation and their application to cell culture techniques. The resulting book is crammed with strategies and techniques that can be immediately deployed in the lab. Equally, the insights into cell culture applications will provide those involved in traditional microfluidics and BioMEMS with an understanding of the specific demands and opportunities presented by biological applications. The goal is to guide new and interested researchers and technology developers to the important areas and state-of-the-practice strategies that will enhance the efficiency and value of their technologies, devices and biomedical products.

Techniques for microfabricating intricate microfluidic structures that mimic the microenvironment of tissues and organs, combined with the development of biomaterials with carefully engineered surface properties, have enabled new paradigms in and cell culture-based models for human diseases. The dimensions of surface features and fluidic channels made accessible by these techniques are well-suited to the size scale of biological cells. Microfluidic Cell Culture Systems applies design and experimental techniques used in in microfluidics, and cell culture technologies to organ-on-chip systems. This book is intended to serve as a professional reference, providing a practical guide to design and fabrication of microfluidic systems and biomaterials for use in cell culture systems and human organ models. The book covers topics ranging from academic first principles of microfluidic design, to clinical translation strategies for cell culture protocols. The goal is to help professionals coming from an engineering background to adapt their expertise for use in cell culture and organ models applications, and likewise to help biologists to design and employ microfluidic technologies in their cell culture systems. This 2nd edition contains new material that strengthens the focus on in vitro models useful for drug discovery and development. One new chapter reviews liver organ models from an industry perspective, while others cover new technologies for scaling these models and for multi-organ systems. Other new chapters highlight the development of organ models and systems for specific applications in disease modeling and drug safety. Previous chapters have been revised to reflect the latest advances. Provides design and operation methodology for microfluidic and microfabricated materials and devices for organ-on-chip disease and safety models. This is a rapidly expanding field that will continue to grow along with advances in cell biology and microfluidics technologies. Comprehensively covers strategies and techniques ranging from academic first principles to industrial scale-up approaches. Readers will gain insight into cell-material interactions, microfluidic flow, and design principles. Offers three fundamental types of information: 1) design principles, 2) operation techniques, and 3) background information/perspectives. The book is carefully designed to strike a balance between these three areas, so it will be of use to a broad range of readers with different technical interests and educational levels.

This book provides an introduction to the biological background of heart functioning and analyzes the various materials and technologies used for the development of microfluidic systems dedicated to cell culture, with an emphasis on cardiac cells. The authors describe the characterization of microfluidic systems for cardiac cell culture and center their discussion of the use of stem cell stimulation based on four different types: electrical, biochemical, physical, and mechanical. This book is appropriate for researchers focused on on-chip technologies and heart studies, students in bioengineering and microengineering courses, and a variety of professionals, such as biotechnologists, biomedical engineers, and clinicians working in the cardiac diseases field.

This book presents a detailed overview of the design, formatting, application, and development of microfluidic chips in the context of cell biology research, enumerating each element involved in microfluidics-based cell analysis, discussing its history, status quo, and future prospects, It also offers an extensive review of the research completed in the past decade, including numerous color figures. The individual chapters are based on the respective authors' studies and experiences, providing tips from the frontline to help researchers overcome bottlenecks in their own work. It highlights a number of cutting-edge techniques, such as 3D cell culture, microfluidic droplet technique, and microfluidic chip-mass spectrometry interfaces, offering a first-hand impression of the latest trends in the field and suggesting new research directions. Serving as both an elementary introduction and advanced guidebook, the book interests and inspires scholars and students who are currently studying microfluidics-based cell analysis methods as well as those who wish to do so.

This book summarizes the various microfluidic-based approaches for single-cell capture, isolation, manipulation, culture and observation, lysis, and analysis. Single-cell analysis reveals the heterogeneities in morphology, functions, composition, and genetic performance of seemingly identical cells, and advances in single-cell analysis can overcome the difficulties arising due to cell heterogeneity in the diagnostics for a targeted model of disease. This book provides a detailed review of the state-of-the-art techniques presenting the pros and cons of each of these methods. It also offers lessons learned and tips from front-line investigators to help researchers overcome bottlenecks in their own studies. Highlighting a number of techniques, such as microfluidic droplet techniques, combined microfluidics-mass-spectrometry systems, and nanochannel sampling, it describes in detail a new microfluidic chip-based live single-cell extractor (LSCE) developed in the editor’s laboratory, which opens up new avenues to use open microfluidics in single-cell extraction, single-cell mass spectrometric analysis, single-cell adhesion analysis and subcellular operations. Serving as both an elementary introduction and advanced guidebook, this book interests and inspires scholars and students who are currently studying or wish to study microfluidics-based cell analysis methods.

This book is the second edition of the one originally published in 2016, which focused on state-of-the-art microfluidic research in medical and biological applications. Similar to the first edition, beginners in the field —undergraduates, engineers, biologists, medical and pharmaceutical researchers—will easily learn to understand microfluidic-based medical and biological applications. Because a wide range of topics is summarized here, it also helps experts to learn more about fields outside their own specialties. In this second edition, significant revisions have been made to chapters covering technologies that have seen major advancements, such as acoustofluidics, protein crystallography, organ-on-a-chip systems, nanopore sensing, and paper-based microfluidics. In addition, the chapters on cancer diagnosis using exosomes and single-cell sequencing using droplet microfluidics, which are attracting attention as new technologies, have been newly added. Readers will be convinced that microfluidic devices have great potential for medical and biological applications.