题 目：Development strategy of artificial cellular microenvironments

      报告人：陈勇 教授（ Department of Chemistry, Ecole Normale Supérieure, Paris, France）

      时 间：7月12日（周四），上午10:00

      地 点：纳米院会议室（同济大学南校区高等技术学院楼219室）

摘要：
One of the major challenges in cellular engineering is to control cell-material interaction at micro- and nano-scales by using advanced material and device technologies. This is particularly important for the extrinsic control of stem cell fate. On one hand, cells interact with extracellular matrix and neighbouring cells which can be regulated by creation of designed scaffolds and cellular patterns in two or three dimensions. On the other hand, cells respond soluble signalling factors which can be controlled by using sophisticated microfluidic devices. In both cases, a large number of studies have been performed but there is still no a clear strategy for a long term development. We noticed that the conventional culture platforms are essentially based on either static exchange or perfusion of culture medium whereas the newly developed microfluidic cell cultures are also perfusion based which are both significantly different from what happen in our body tissues. We therefore proposed a diffusion-based culture using open access microchannel networks. This approach allows mimicking blood vessels and capillaries since not only the geometry of the channel networks can be designed but also the flow dynamics can be controlled accurately. We will discuss the implication of such a diffusion network in cell culture and tissue engineering. In order to mimic extracellular matrices, we have been worked on a variety of material patterns applicable to different cell types, including both embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells. Finally, the possibility of integrating designed diffusion networks and functional biomaterial patterns should allow us to define a new strategy for the development of future culture platforms.