Organ-on-Chip Development Centre (OoCDev)
Creating a vibrant innovation and technology-based infrastructure centre for Organs-on-Chips
The hDMT INFRA Organ-on-Chip Development Centre aims to be the focal point in the Netherlands for the technical development of organs-on-chips. We aim to create a vibrant innovation and technology-based infrastructure centre, with strong links to national and international academia, medical centres and societal partners. The Organ-on-Chip Development Centre (OoCDev) comprises an infrastructure effort for the manufacturing, operation and read-out of organ-on-chips (OoC). This state-of-the-art facility with shared laboratories will enable the next-generation of organ-on-chip platforms. This will allow us to tackle scientific and societal challenges in human health and medicine.
MANUFACTURING
At the moment, there is a critical need for implementing emerging tissue engineering technologies on-chip that allow the creation of 3D architecture typical of living tissues. To fully harness bioprinting strategies for living OoC fabrication, OoCDev requires advanced biofabrication equipment. Microfabrication technologies, in particular biofabrication via bioprinting, enable precise patterning of multiple cells types and extra-cellular matrix mimicking biomaterials in 3D structures. We will establish a state-of-the-art workstation to enable the rapid manufacturing of OoC with high 3D complexity.
OPERATION
Operating OoC systems requires pumps to drive fluid flow through the individual cell culture microcompartments. The challenge grows uncontrollably with obstacles such as parallel systems, unique cell culture medium or multiple chips connected into multi-organ systems. Many of these challenges can be overcome with the Translation Organ-on-Chip Platform (TOP), which offers automation and multiplexing in a modular platform. To further develop and implement TOP as the national standard for OoC culture and control, we need infrastructure to automate microfluidic flow control in multiple OoC at once.
READ-OUT
There is a strong need for both high-resolution and real-time, live-cell imaging inside intact OoC devices. In OoCDev we aim to implement pioneering techniques such as adaptive optics and wavefront shaping to improve imaging through the complex structures present within OoC. In addition, developing and implementing non-invasive read-out techniques, such as Optical Coherence Tomography and electrical impedance sensing, we can track barrier function of tissues in OoC and provide real-time and spatial information.
Embedding at University of Twente
OoCDev will be embedded at the University of Twente, taking full advantage of local expertise on microfabrication, tissue engineering, microfluidics, imaging and sensing, and available infrastructure, such as the MESA+ NanoLab cleanroom and the TechMed BioImaging Center. With the national partnerships of hDMT and a multi-disciplinary team of ambitious researchers at the University of Twente, OoCDev will offer key enabling technologies for the next-generation organ-on-chips.