Complete microfluidic setup included for quick and easy assembly.
Precisely controlled shear stress under laminar flow, ensuring efficient medium distribution.
Optimized incubation parameters closely mimic physiological conditions for more accurate results.
Microfluidic gut-on-a-chip application
Our gut-on-a-chip pack makes gut cell culture on a membrane within a microfluidic channel more accessible than ever. By seeding cells on a porous membrane with continuous perfusion, this system replicates the physiological gut environment, offering an enhanced cell culture experience that closely mimics in vivo conditions compared to traditional 2D cultures.
Powered by the precision of the OB1 flow controller (Elveflow) and integrated with a porous membrane inside a microfluidic chip, this solution includes all the necessary microfluidic components for researchers to establish cocultures of intestinal endothelial and epithelial cells. If you’re new to microfluidic technologies, our team is ready to support you through the setup process.
Organ-on-chip experiments can be complex, but with our extensive experience from collaborating on numerous projects, we’re here to help. We value the opportunity to share our knowledge and discuss your specific research needs.
The standard microfluidic gut-on-a-chip culture pack features a pumping channel paired with a distributor, enabling you to seed cells on both sides of the membrane within the chip. This setup creates distinct endothelial and epithelial cell layers, ideal for developing new therapeutics or conducting toxicity screenings.
For example, the upper channel can be seeded with human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) to form an endothelial layer, while Caco-2 cells (epithelial colorectal cells) can be cultured in the lower perfusion chamber to create an epithelial layer. This 3D intestinal cell structure, combined with dynamic perfusion, provides a physiologically relevant model.
Our setup is flexible and can be customized with additional instruments tailored to your specific requirements. It’s also compatible with other commercially available or custom-made microfluidic chips.
The MUX distributor streamlines the injection of various substances, such as drugs, and a 3/2 valve allows precise selection of which channel to perfuse. The efficiency of perfusion directly correlates with the flow rates in the upper and lower channels, ensuring optimal performance for your experiments.
Gut-on-a-chip setup
This setup is designed to replicate realistic shear stress variations, pressure, and strain, closely mimicking the physiological environment of the gut.
The system ensures excellent compatibility among all components, allowing you to begin your experiments right out of the box. Managed by a single software platform, this versatile setup can also be adapted for various applications beyond gut-on-a-chip research.
Gut-on-a-chip setup components:
This setup offers everything you need to create a dynamic and physiologically relevant gut-on-a-chip model, adaptable to your specific research needs.
Microfluidic Gut-on-a-Chip: A Breakthrough in Modeling Gut Physiology
Research has demonstrated that fluid flow is critical in applying shear stress, which closely mimics physiological conditions necessary for growing cells into villi structures. Studies have shown that Caco-2 epithelial cells develop more effectively into crypt and villus-like structures in a microfluidic chip with a membrane compared to traditional transwell cell cultures.
These crypt and villus-like structures provide a more accurate representation of the human gut environment, supporting the growth of human intestinal microbial flora. The dynamic culture conditions in a gut-on-a-chip system enhance the extracellular matrix (ECM), which in turn influences the surrounding microenvironment, creating a highly physiologically relevant gut epithelium model.
In summary, the gut-on-a-chip system serves as a valuable tool for physiological studies, drug development, and personalized medicine, offering an alternative to animal models.
Advantages of Microfluidics for Gut-on-a-Chip Applications
Microfluidics offers a highly efficient way to minimize the use of valuable samples, such as patient biopsies, during experiments. By integrating the OB1 flow controller, MUX distributor, and 3/2 valve with automation software, researchers can achieve precise and controlled experimental conditions. This setup allows for optimal flow control, reactivity, and precision in gut-on-a-chip cell culture experiments, with the ability to fine-tune fluid properties in real time to maintain physiological relevance.
Human organs-on-chips are proving to be more effective than traditional 2D models or animal testing. With increasing pressure from the European Union and the public to reduce animal testing, organ-on-chip technologies are emerging as a viable alternative. Furthermore, these systems pave the way for personalized medicine by using stem cells directly from patients.
Microfluidic gut-on-a-chip systems enable more flexible, precise, and efficient experiments, making it possible to assess drug toxicity or the effects of pathogens on the intestine with greater accuracy.
If you’re unsure about the best configuration for your specific application, our experts are here to help you design the ideal setup.
Our gut-on-a-chip setup includes cross-flow membrane chips made from polystyrene (PS) or cycloolefin copolymer (COP), available in two pore sizes: 8 µm and 0.2 µm. The channels can also be hydrophilized, and custom-specific membranes can be created on demand to meet your precise requirements.
The system is highly customizable. For example, the MUX recirculation can be substituted with more cost-effective microfluidic valves to perform medium recirculation within the microfluidic channel, though this may increase complexity. The OB1 MK4 flow controller can be configured with additional channels featuring different pressure ranges to suit various experimental needs.
Since bubbles can severely disrupt cell cultures, a bubble remover can be integrated into the setup to ensure that cells are not exposed to air bubbles.
We also offer specialized setups for other organ-on-chip models, including blood-brain-barrier-on-a-chip and endothelial cell culture systems.
For any questions about this gut-on-a-chip setup or how it can be tailored to your specific needs, feel free to contact our scientists.
– Explore our use cases for various applications –
Powerful & complete microfluidic setup.
For any help to determine what microfluidic instruments you need, you can contact us! Our experts will help you build the best microfluidic setup for your application, with our state-of-the-art microfluidic line.
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