Development of Microfluidic Chips to Study the Effects of Shear Stress on Cell Functions

Fluid shear stress has profound effect on many cell functions, including proliferation, migration, transport, and gene expression. Cellular systems such as endothelial cells in heart artery and epithelial cells in kidney tubule are constantly subject to fluid flow. We have developed a series of microfluidic chips that generate a wide range and modes of shear stresses within a perfusion chamber, enabling us to culture cells on chip and examine the effects of shear stress on cell growth and cell functions.