Thesis: Design and Characterization of Virtual Microfluidic Channels for Organ-On-Chip Systems

In cooperation with the Chair of Laser Technology (LLT), the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology (ILT)—Europe’s leading center for contract research and development in the field of laser technology—is offering the opportunity to write a master’s thesis on the topic: Design and Characterization of Virtual Microfluidic Channels Using UKP Laser Processing for Organ-on-a-Chip Systems.

 

The project is being carried out in close interdisciplinary collaboration with an RWTH research team in the field of biohybrid medicine and textiles (BioTex).

 

Research in this field focuses on the development of living, biohybrid implants with the potential for remodeling, regeneration, and self-repair. A key objective is to develop biotechnological solutions to meet clinical needs while also addressing the societal need to reduce animal testing in the biomedical research environment. Consequently, microfluidic organ-on-chip models for cultivating microphysiological organ models are becoming increasingly important. These complex in vitro biological models require specific structures, such as the integration of vertical membranes or the creation of virtual channels through hydrophobic and hydrophilic surface structures.

 

Such microscopic surface structures can be created, among other methods, using ultrashort-pulsed laser radiation. These structures are then transferred onto chips via subsequent casting processes. The aim of this work is to fabricate various surface structures in glass using USP, followed by casting, and to characterize the chips in terms of their microfluidic properties so that they can subsequently be used in initial cell culture tests.