Adaptable Manufacturing and Biofabrication of Milliscale Organ Chips With Perfusable Vascular Beds.

Microphysiological systems (MPS) containing perfusable vascular beds unlock the ability to model tissue-scale elements of vascular physiology and disease in vitro. Access to inexpensive stereolithography (SLA) 3D printers now enables benchtop fabrication of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) organ chips, eliminating the need for cleanroom access and microfabrication expertise, and can facilitate broader adoption of MPS approaches in preclinical research. Rapid prototyping of organ chip mold designs accelerates the processes of design, testing, and iteration, but geometric distortion and surface roughness of SLA resin prints can impede the development of standardizable manufacturing workflows.

Performance assessment and economic analysis of a human Liver-Chip for predictive toxicology.

Background: Conventional preclinical models often miss drug toxicities, meaning the harm these drugs pose to humans is only realized in clinical trials or when they make it to market. This has caused the pharmaceutical industry to waste considerable time and resources developing drugs destined to fail. Organ-on-a-Chip technology has the potential improve success in drug development pipelines, as it can recapitulate organ-level pathophysiology and clinical responses; however, systematic and quantitative evaluations of Organ-Chips' predictive value have not yet been reported.

Colour bio-factories: Towards scale-up production of anthocyanins in plant cell cultures.

Anthocyanins are widely distributed, glycosylated, water-soluble plant pigments, which give many fruits and flowers their red, purple or blue colouration. Their beneficial effects in a dietary context have encouraged increasing use of anthocyanins as natural colourants in the food and cosmetic industries. However, the limited availability and diversity of anthocyanins commercially have initiated searches for alternative sources of these natural colourants.