Last meeting, we discussed the possibility of the storage gel-boxes outgassing a residue onto the porous SiO2 membranes, as evidenced by cells not adhering to the membranes and difficulty in acquiring SEM images. Possible Gel-Box Outgassing on Porous SiO2 Membranes…

In previous experiments attempting to culture ADSC on non-porous and porous (0.5 µm, 3.0 µm) SiO2 membranes, we were having difficulty getting the ADSC to attach to the membranes. A majority of the ADSC did not appear well-spread. While in…

YAP/TAZ YAP/TAZ intracellular localization, and subsequent transcriptional activity, has indicated its role in pathways of mechanotransduction. Investigation of the effects of substrate stiffness on MSC growth and differentiation point to YAP/TAZ as an indicator of how cells are perceiving their mechanical…

Objective Develop an easily mainpulated reproducible vasculogenesis assay using hydrogels laden with endothelial cells (‘bio-ink’) patterned using the technique of extrusion bioprinting Bio-inks Develop a bio-ink with the following characteristics Cell viable: bio-ink must sustain cell life, allowing cells to manipulate and move…

Background:  The purpose of these experiments was to investigate the formation of gap junctions between co-cultured HUVEC and ADSC across 0.5µm HP SiO2 and 0.4 µm HP Track-Etched membranes. Gap junctions are channels that allow small molecules to pass directly…

To supplement our upcoming manuscript, we decided that we needed to provide a visual of how thin our ultrathin SiO2 membranes actually are. To demonstrate the thinness of the SiO2 membranes, in comparison to the commercially available Track-Etched hanging membrane…

Introduction Permeable membranes provide a physiologically relevant cell culture substrate for in vitro study of barrier cell types, such as endothelial cells, which assume a polarized morphology with distinct apical and basolateral surfaces. Cell morphology and subsequent monolayer formation and barrier…

The following post is the abstract that I recently submitted for the BMES Annual Conference. Introduction: Permeable membranes provide a physiologically relevant cell culture substrate for in vitro study of barrier cell types, such as endothelial cells, which assume a…

Purpose: To investigate the formation of focal adhesions (FAs) on various cell culture substrates, including TCP, SiO2 membranes, and PDMS membranes. Background: FAs are large macromolecular assemblies through which mechanical force and regulatory signals are transmitted between the extracellular matrix (ECM) and…

Background: Similar to the Gaborski lab, the authors of the publication “Microfabrication of high-resolution porous membranes for cell culture” fabricated and characterized ultra-thin polymeric membranes for use as cell culture substrates. Upon reviewing their publication, Tom and I discussed some of…