Recent Advances of Biologically Inspired 3D Microfluidic Hydrogel Cell Culture Systems

Application of Microfluidics in Life SciencesMicrofluidics can be defined as the study of fluid and air flows in microchannels and was initially introduced to facilitate liquid handling and sample preparations.Early work dates back to 1969 with Lew's work on a theoretical solution for mimicking blood and air flow in a microcirculatory system of the lung [1].In this precursor stage of microfluidics the aim was to create a biomimetic system, which facilitated the study of biological pathways in vitro.It was not until the 1990s that the field of microfluidics emerged from miniaturization efforts and Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) as an enabling technology platform for dispensing systems, analytical separations, chemical reactions, and bioanalysis applications.Since then, microfluidics has evolved into an established technology ranging from medical solutions (e.g., microfluidic inhalers), in vitro diagnostics (e.g., point of care) and production applications (e.g., microreaction technologies) [2].More recent research applications include microchips for genomics, proteomics and cell-based assays.