Abstract

A Novel Soft Lithography Technique for Porous Membrane Fabrication as a Permeable Barrier in Gut- and Lung-on-Chip Devices

Mohammad Jouybar, Student, Politecnico di Milano

To mimic the epithelium-endothelium barrier in microfluidic devices, the fabrication of porous membranes through soft-lithography is a common option. Thus far, SU8 photoresist micropillars are the prevailing master molds. However, they suffer from the fragile behavior of pillars and need sophisticated clean room facility. In this presentation, we introduce a spin-coatable epoxy-based mold of micropillars to overcome the limitations of former techniques.

Both intestinal and lung epithelium cell lines were cultured in microchannels to validate the functionality of the porous membrane. Subsequently, to evaluate the contribution of mechanical stimulation with focus on flow, to the 3D morphogenesis of intestinal epithelium, three different culture methods were tested: pump perfusion, tilting rocker perfusion, and steady culture. The primary results will be presented in this presentation.