Engineered MEMS microenvironments for studying stem cells and microorganisms
Abstract
Advances in miniaturization and nanofabrication techniques have led to significant medical breakthroughs, especially in the fields of stem cell therapy and medical diagnostics. In this contribution, we use MEMS techniques to develop two different tools that allow us to study different biological organisms: 1.) a multi-functional smart scaffold for studying stem cells, and 2.) a centrifugal microfluidic platform for studying microorganisms like bacteria. In Part II, we use the multi-functional smart scaffold to control neural stem cell growth/differentiation and simultaneously monitor Dopamine released from the cells. In Part III, we use the centrifugal microfluidic platform to optimize the incubation of multiple bacteria species. We then use the same platform to develop a sample-to-answer phenotypic antibiotic susceptbility test that successfully identifies resistance in 11 different species of E. Coli in under 2 hours.