Microfluidic transwell inserts for generation of tissue culture-friendly gradients in well plates.

ABSTRACT: Gradients of biochemical molecules play a key role in many physiological processes such as axon growth, tissue morphogenesis, and trans-epithelium nutrient transport, as well as in pathophysiological phenomena such as wound healing, immune response, bacterial invasion, and cancer metastasis. In this paper, we report a microfluidic transwell insert for generating quantifiable concentration gradients in a user-friendly and modular format that is compatible with conventional cell cultures and with tissue explant cultures. The device is simply inserted into a standard 6-well plate, where it hangs self-supported at a distance of ~250 μm above the cell culture surface. The gradient is created by small microflows from the device, through an integrated track-etched porous membrane, into the cell c

SUBMITTER: Sip CG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4362725 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature