Document type
ArticleVersion
Published versionPublication date
Publication license
Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/2445/185457
Towards Cellular Ultrastructural Characterization in Organ-on-a-Chip by Transmission Electron Microscopy
Journal Title
Director/Tutor
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Related resource
Abstract
Organ-on-a-chip technology is a 3D cell culture breakthrough of the last decade. This rapidly developing field of bioengineering intertwined with microfluidics provides new insights into disease development and preclinical drug screening. So far, optical and fluorescence microscopy are the most widely used methods to monitor and extract information from these models. Meanwhile transmission electron microscopy (TEM), despite its wide use for the characterization of nanomaterials and biological samples, remains unexplored in this area. In our work we propose a TEM sample preparation method, that allows to process a microfluidic chip without its prior deconstruction, into TEM-compatible specimens. We demonstrated preparation of tumor blood vessel-on-a-chip model and consecutive steps to preserve the endothelial cells lining microfluidic channel, for the chip’s further transformation into ultrathin sections. This approach allowed us to obtain cross-sections of the microchannel with cells cultured inside, and to observe cell adaptation to the channel geometry, as well as the characteristic for endothelial cells tight junctions. The proposed sample preparation method facilitates the electron microscopy ultrastructural characterization of biological samples cultured in organ-on-a-chip device.
Subject (English)
Citation
Citation
GLINKOWSKA MARES, Adrianna, et al. Towards Cellular Ultrastructural Characterization in Organ-on-a-Chip by Transmission Electron Microscopy. Applied Nano. 2021. Vol. 2, num. 4, pags. 289-302. ISSN 2673-3501. [consulted: 12 of June of 2026]. Available at: https://hdl.handle.net/2445/185457