Brain Chip Overview
Microfluidic Brain-on-a-Chip (MBC) is a microfluidic technology-based biochip used to mimic the structure and function of the human brain.
It consists of microfluidic channels, micromachined chips, and human nerve cells that can control fluid flow and mixing at the micrometer scale, mimicking the complex flow and mass transfer processes within the human brain.
Microfluidic brain microarrays are designed to replace traditional cell culture and animal experimental models to improve efficiency and accuracy in the fields of neuroscience research and neuropharmacology.
It can culture human neural cells in microchannels and chambers to realize physiological environments in vivo, such as controlling neuron type, density and distribution, simulating synaptic transmission, nerve signaling and neurodevelopmental processes, as well as simulating neurological disease states and drug responses.
Microfluidic brain microarrays have a wide range of applications, including neurodegenerative diseases, neuropsychiatric disorders, traumatic brain injury, and brain tumors.
It can be used not only for drug screening and dosage testing, but also for the study of pathological mechanisms of neurological diseases and optimization of therapeutic regimens, providing new methods and tools for research in the field of neuroscience.
Experimental Methods for Brain Chips
Microfluidic brain organoids are a novel experimental platform for studying the nervous system. The following is the general experimental method:
- Designing the chip structure: Firstly, the chip structure needs to be designed, including the shape, size and channel network of the organ chip.
- Fabrication of chips: Fabrication of chips requires the use of micro- and nanofabrication techniques. Typically a photolithographic layer is superimposed on a glass or polymer substrate, and then a microscope or electron beam exposer is used to create the channel network and the shape of the organ chip.
- Preparation of cells: Neurons, astrocytes, and other cells of the nervous system are isolated from mouse or human stem cells and cultured in a network of channels in the chip.
- Performing experiments: After the cells are cultured to a certain density, various experiments can be performed, such as adding drugs, observing the electrical activity of neurons, and controlling the connections between neurons. The behavior of the cells can be observed through a microscope, and the electrical activity of the neurons can be recorded using electrophysiological techniques, and so on.
- Data analysis: analyze the experimental data to draw conclusions and further improve the chip structure and experimental methods.
It should be noted that microfluidic brain organ-chip experiments require high technical and equipment support, high skill requirements for experimenters, and strict quality control.
Recent Research Progress on Brain Chips
Microfluidic brain organoids, as a novel neuroscience experimental platform, have received extensive attention and research in recent years. The following are some of the latest research progresses:
- Improvement of network structure: In order to better simulate the structure and function of real brain organization, researchers have been continuously improving the channel structure of the chip and the way neurons are distributed, so as to better realize the interaction and connection between neurons.
- Expansion of application scope: Initially, microfluidic brain organ chips were mainly used to study neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease, etc., but now they have been expanded to other fields, such as studying neurodevelopment, drug screening, and toxicological evaluation.
- Application of new technologies: Researchers have introduced new technologies into the study of microfluidic brain organoids, such as single-cell sequencing, multi-channel electrophysiological recording, and optogenetics, which allow for a more comprehensive and precise assessment of neuronal activity and interactions in the chip.
- Applications in preclinical research: Some studies have begun to use microfluidic brain organoids for preclinical research, such as evaluating the safety and efficacy of drugs, which is expected to accelerate the speed and reduce the cost of drug development in the future.
In conclusion, the research on microfluidic brain organoids is making new progress, which is expected to provide a more accurate, efficient and reproducible experimental platform for neuroscience research and drug development.
Recommended Literature Reading on Brain Chips
Below are some literature recommendations on microfluidic brain organoids and their brief overviews:
1. "Human Brain Organoids on a Chip Reveal the Physics of Folding" (Nature Physics, 2021) - This study uses a microfluidic chip to culture human brain organoid structures and reveals the mechanism of organ fold formation by investigating the physics of organ folding. -like structures using a microfluidic chip and reveals the mechanism of cortical fold formation by characterizing the physics of organ folding.
2. "Microfluidic Brain-on-a-Chip for Modeling Cortical Development and Folding" (Science Advances, 2021) - This study used a microfluidic chip to model the development and folding of the cerebral cortex and regulate the folding morphology of the cerebral cortex by varying the ratio of neurons to astrocytes in the chip.
3. "Microfluidic Neurovascular Unit Model to Recapitulate Cerebral Ischemia-Reperfusion" (ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering, 2021) - This study used a microfluidic chip to create a neurovascular unit model to simulate the process of cerebral ischemia-reperfusion, providing a new experimental platform for the study of stroke and other neurovascular diseases.
4. "Microfluidic organ-on-a-chip models of human brain disorders" (Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 2020) - The review article provides an overview of recent research on the use of microfluidic chips to simulate human brain organs, and their application to the study of neurological disorders.
These studies demonstrate the potential of microfluidic brain organoids as a novel neuroscience experimental platform and provide new ideas and methods for neuroscience research and disease treatment.
DXFLUIDICS
Dxfluidics is a specialized enterprise dedicated to customizing various microfluidic organ chips. With a highly skilled and experienced processing team, we offer one-stop organ chip processing services for our clients. The company is committed to providing high-quality, high-performance biochip products for the fields of biomedicine, biomedicine, bio-detection, cell culture, and more.
Let the flower of life bloom more beautifully, Dxfluidics microfluidic organ chips make miniature life experiments more precise!
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