Elisabeth Verpoorte,
Chair of Analytical Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Analysis,
University of Groningen
E.M.J. (Sabeth) Verpoorte has more than 30 years of research experience in the microfluidics or lab-on-a-chip field. Her introduction to this technology came in 1990, after her PhD with D. Jed Harrison at the University of Alberta, when she started as a postdoctoral researcher to the pioneering µTAS group headed by Professor Andreas Manz at Ciba Ltd., Basel, Switzerland. In 2003, Sabeth made a strategic switch to assume a Chair in the Groningen Research Institute of Pharmacy, making a foray into a new research environment dominated by cells, tissue and drug development. Projects have involved the development of organ-on-a-chip systems to study drug metabolism (liver chip, gut chip), diagnose endothelial dysfunction and monitor liver tissue function. Efforts have also concentrated on continuous-flow particle separation strategies, paper microfluidics, as well as miniaturized analytical instrumentation (paper spray ionization, multidimensional chromatography). The acquisition of interdisciplinary projects involving scientists from the life sciences, chemistry, and physics disciplines continues to be a driving force in her research.
In 2022, Verpoorte was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by Tampere University (Finland) for her work on lab-on-a-chip and organ-on-a-chip research as well as for long-standing interdisciplinary collaborations. A second honorary doctorate from Lund University (Sweden) followed in May of 2024 for outstanding research production within the lab-on-a-chip and microfluidics field, and for being a female role model as, in various ways, she has pursued the issue of female representation in scientific contexts.
Using Microchannels to Study Endothelium in vitro
Tuesday, 13 September 2022 at 10:30
Add to Calendar ▼2022-09-13 10:30:002022-09-13 11:30:00Europe/LondonUsing Microchannels to Study Endothelium in vitro3D-Models for Drug Testing: Organoids and Tissue Chips 2022 in SeattleSeattleSELECTBIOenquiries@selectbiosciences.com
Microfluidic systems incorporating endothelial cell monolayers were among the earliest examples of organs-on-chips, with examples dating back almost two decades. This was to be expected, as microchannels are an obvious (though perhaps not perfect) mimic for the (micro)vascular system in terms of geometry. Moreover, microchannel-based in vitro systems also allow controlled application of shear stress, a crucial parameter in vivo that dictates endothelium properties. Despite this, microfluidic devices for determining shear-stress-dependent parameters like cellular morphology and endothelium permeability have been less common. In this presentation, I will present work done in our labs focusing on endothelial cell cultures in microfluidic channels and what these systems can teach us about vascular endothelium. We have worked primarily with human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) culture in gelatin-coated glass or PDMS channels, and more recently with cells cultured on a gelatin substrate. HUVEC exhibit a clear morphological response to the surface material on which they are cultured, a response which can also be reflected in their gene expression. Moreover, cell alignment can be guided to some extent by culture in small channels and on defined gelatin features. More recently, we have considered microflow systems to study the permeability of endothelial cell monolayers in diabetes-associated microenvironments, by tracking the transport of fluorescently labelled albumin across these barriers into a gelatin layer underneath. Summarizing, in our experience even simple microchannel devices can provide insight into endothelium behaviour, under a variety of (patho)physiological conditions.
Add to Calendar ▼2022-09-13 00:00:002022-09-14 00:00:00Europe/London3D-Models for Drug Testing: Organoids and Tissue Chips 20223D-Models for Drug Testing: Organoids and Tissue Chips 2022 in SeattleSeattleSELECTBIOenquiries@selectbiosciences.com
Add to Calendar ▼2022-09-13 10:30:002022-09-13 11:30:00Europe/LondonUsing Microchannels to Study Endothelium in vitro3D-Models for Drug Testing: Organoids and Tissue Chips 2022 in SeattleSeattleSELECTBIOenquiries@selectbiosciences.com
