Use cases

Perfusion incubation system for 3D muscle tissue scaffolds

Description

The aim of this project was to build a customisable platform for meat tissue engineering, which allows precise control over incubation parameters including temperature, gas composition and medium perfusion with sufficient openness for further upgrades.

Novelty/biological significance

Engineering of thick tissue samples (above a few mm) is a major challenge for development of cultured meat as well as tissue engineering in general. To allow relevant testing and protocol design a suitable testing platform is required that provides effective control over environmental parameters and has sufficient adaptability in accordance to process evolution.

Technological customization/relevance/advancement

Building on top of the incubation module and a 2-syringe perfusion tray, a customized circulation system will be developed, to sustain a 3D scaffold through its inherent vasculature. A custom culturing container will be developed, to house and secure the target scaffold. To sustain gas diffusion to the medium, while preventing air bubble entering the sample vasculature a bubble trap will be developed to release bubbles from the medium before it enters the culturing container, while ensuring a liquid surface area sufficient to allow gas exchange.

Results

For this project an experimental assembly was developed as shown in the figure below.

Assembly of the perfusion prototype from above (A) and from the front, showing the user inferface (B). Also, the disassembled components of the bubble trap (C) and culturing container (D) are shown. The components in C from left to right: module body, a 0.2μm pore size PTFE filter and the filter fastening screw. The components in D from top to bottom: container body with perfusion splitting manifolds on both sides, glass cover with fastening frame.

Vascular endothelium perfusion culture in vitro

Description

The inner lining of blood vessels is constantly subjected to liquid flow and the associated shear forces, which could influence tissue development and function. Here the impact of perfusion on endothelial cell culture will be investiaged in vitro and compared to static growth conditions.

Novelty/biological significance

As static cell culture models fail to fully recapitulate the in vivo environment, experimental results provide limited understanding of physiological function. Using a perfusion culture system where the natural environment of cells can be mimicked more closely allows studying the impact of shear stress on tissue behavior.

Technological customization/relevance/advancement

For this project the perfusion system will be upgraded to a 4 syringe platform, which allows simultaneous drive of 2 circulations in parallel. The 4-syringe tray will be coupled with a 6-well plate perfusion connector to scale the number of experiments conducted simultaneously.

Results