Development of a stand-alone integrated MEA biochip system for chronic recordings

Stand-alone integrated MEA system were developed and tested to investigate the effect of toxic compounds on network neural activities during chronic recordings. The system, consisting of specifically designed MEA aim to receive microfluidic organic substances and to communicate using wireless technology with the computer device. The system has been tested with several types of 2D and 3D neuronal cultures. The electrophysiological data are processed by NeuroSpy, a modify version of SpyCode. The software developed is able to analyze the basal activity, drug and stimulation evoked response

An electrosimulation cell device with patterned TiO2:Nb thin films as bio-electrodes

We present a cellular test device based on Nb:TiO2 (niobium dooped titania) transparent conductive oxide (TCO) as bio-electrodes. The device is intended to easily provide electrical stimuli to a given cell tissue and to monitor its response. The Nb:TiO2 thin film deposition were performed with combinatorial chemical beam epitaxy (C-CBE) which allows for linear and well controlled gradients of both Nb concentration (ranging from 3% to10%) and oxide thickness in predefined directions (usually orthogonal). We have systematically characterized the Nb:TiO2 films with Atomic Force Microscopy, Scanning White-light Reflectometry, and sheet resistance Finally, we show the device, i.e the electrodes design and patterning in order to perform to electrical stimuli to the various ways to measure the cell’s response

Apical Medium Flow Influences the Morphology and Physiology of Human Proximal Tubular Cells in a Microphysiological System

There is a lack of physiologically relevant in vitro human kidney models for disease modelling and detecting drug-induced effects given the limited choice of cells and difficulty implementing quasi-physiological culture conditions. We investigated the influence of fluid shear stress on primary human renal proximal tubule epithelial cells (RPTECs) cultured in the micro-physiological Vitrofluid device. This system houses cells seeded on semipermeable membranes and can be connected to a regulable pump that enables controlled, unidirectional flow. After 7 days in culture, RPTECs maintained physiological characteristics such as barrier integrity, protein uptake ability, and expression of specific transporters (e.g., aquaporin-1). Exposure to constant apical side flow did not cause cytotoxicity, cell detachment, or intracellular reactive oxygen species accumulation. However, unidirectional flow profoundly affected cell morphology and led to primary cilia lengthening and alignment in the flow direction. The dynamic conditions also reduced cell proliferation, altered plasma membrane leakiness, increased cytokine secretion, and repressed histone deacetylase 6 and kidney injury molecule 1 expression. Cells under flow also remained susceptible to colistin-induced toxicity. Collectively, the results suggest that dynamic culture conditions in the Vitrofluid system promote a more differentiated phenotype in primary human RPTECs and represent an improved in vitro kidney model

1980

Pour vous, ou dans votre domaine, de quoi l’année 1980 est-elle le nom? Telle est ici la question posée aux chercheuses et chercheurs de la Faculté des lettres de l’Université de Lausanne. Cette aventure interdisciplinaire interroge le possible seuil que représente 1980 tant pour les historiens de la littérature qui retiennent usuellement cette date comme l’an zéro de notre contemporanéité que pour bien des sociologues qui font naître en 1980 les premiers enfants de la «génération Y», celle qui dicte aujourd’hui la norme esthétique et idéologique. La mosaïque des réponses apportées à cette question dessine une sorte de portrait chinois de l’an huitante en une cinquantaine de tesselles littéraires, artistiques, culturelles, sociales, politiques, scientifiques, technologiques, philosophiques et intellectuelles