Various systems, methods, and devices are provided for focusing particles suspended within a moving fluid into one or more localized stream lines. The system can include a substrate and at least one channel provided on the substrate having an inlet and an outlet. The system can further include a fluid moving along the channel in a laminar flow having suspended particles and a pumping element driving the laminar flow of the fluid. The fluid, the channel, and the pumping element can be configured to cause inertial forces to act on the particles and to focus the particles into one or more stream lines.

Systems and methods interconnect cell culture devices and/or fluidic devices by transferring discrete volumes of fluid between devices. A liquid-handling system collects a volume of fluid from at least one source device and deposits the fluid into at least one destination device. In some embodiments, a liquid-handling robot actuates the movement and operation of a fluid collection device in an automated manner to transfer the fluid between the at least one source device and the at least one destination device. In some cases, the at least one source device and the at least one destination device are cell culture devices. The at least one source device and the at least one destination device may be microfluidic or non-microfluidic devices. In some cases, the cell culture devices may be microfluidic cell culture devices. In further cases, the microfluidic cell culture devices may include organ-chips.

An organ-on-chip apparatus includes a first fluid channel, a second fluid channel, and an interface. Respective portions of the first fluid channel and the second fluid channel may extend parallel to and adjacent each other, and the interface may be disposed between the respective portions of the first fluid channel and the second fluid channel such that fluid exchange between the first fluid channel and the second fluid channel is via the interface. The first and second fluid channels may be defined in an extracellular matrix material.

A multi-layered microfluidic system featuring tissue chambers for cells in a first layer and a plurality of medium channels for culture medium in a second layer. The tissue chambers fluidly connect to the medium channels such that media flows from the medium channels to the tissue chambers, forming large-scale perfused capillary networks. The capillary networks can undergo angiogenesis and vertical anastomosis. The multi-layered configuration of the system of the present invention allows for flexibility in design.

Disclosed herein are microfluidic devices that may be used to mimic human organ systems, in particular, pancreatic function, and methods of using same. In particular, disclosed are microfluidic devices that may include a first chamber having a plurality of pancreatic ductal epithelial cells (PDECs), a second chamber having a plurality of pancreatic islets, and a permeable membrane fluidly connecting the chambers. The disclosed devices and methods may be used for the study of pancreatic cell function, for the development of therapeutics, or for the development of personalized therapeutics wherein the cells of the device are obtained from an individual in need of such treatment.

The instant disclosure is directed to a method for vascularizing a pancreatic islet comprising culturing the pancreatic islet or β-cells with an endothelial cell comprising an exogenous nucleic acid encoding an ETV2 transcription factor under conditions wherein the endothelial cell expresses the ETV2 transcription factor. The instant disclosure is further directed to a method for making a vascularized β-cell organoid comprising culturing the pancreatic islet or β-cells with an endothelial cell comprising an exogenous nucleic acid encoding an ETV2 transcription factor under conditions wherein the endothelial cell expresses the ETV2 transcription factor. Disclosed also are vascularized islets and vascularized β-cell organoids produced by the methods of the instant disclosure, as well as methods for using the same.

Microfluidic devices, systems and methods are described herein. The devices, systems and methods provide for trapping particles, including cells. Methods of generating a droplet in a microfluidic device and collecting droplets from microfluidic devices are also disclosed herein.

The systems and methods of the present disclosure can be used to generate systems and models that are physiologically relevant to the human and animal system. These physiological conditions can be designed to mimic the actual human condition for cell differentiation and proliferation. The system and methods of this present disclosure allow the formation of an appropriate biomaterial to mimic that which exists in a human or animal scaffold. Utilizing 3D printing technology, a hydrogel scaffold can be printed at various resolution very close to human physiological geometry. Additionally, the architecture can be optimized for the selected application and appropriate cells can be seeded on the scaffold prior to testing.

A magnetic cell biocarrier combined with a powerless bioreactor system comprising a biocarrier, a powerless bioreactor, and a magnetic field device. The biocarrier can detach the cells through temperature regulation and can be adsorbed by the magnetic field device to stabilize at the bottom of the gooseneck cell culture tank; the powerless bioreactor comprises a microinfusion element, a culture fluid collection element, and a gooseneck cell culture tank; the internal space of the gooseneck cell culture tank is interconnected with the microinfusion element and the culture fluid collection element, the microinfusion element slowly injects fresh culture medium When the culture medium in the gooseneck cell culture tank is above an overflow position, the cell metabolites can be automatically discharged to the culture fluid collection element by the interconnected vessels to reduce the risk of cell contamination.

High-throughput column arrays of vascularized living parenchyma/tissue having pillars dispersed in specialized configurations and arrangements substantially vertically through the column to provide support, passive or active perfusion, and access to internal portions of tissue for analytical sampling needs, along with 3-D printing methods of manufacture and analytical screening methods employing the column arrays.