A high throughput cell stretch device for investigating mechanobiology .

Mechanobiology is a rapidly advancing field, with growing evidence that mechanical signaling plays key roles in health and disease. To accelerate mechanobiology-based drug discovery, novel systems are needed that enable mechanical perturbation of cells in a format amenable to high throughput screening. Here, both a mechanical stretch device and 192-well silicone flexible linear stretch plate were designed and fabricated to meet high throughput technology needs for cell stretch-based applications.

A high-throughput 3D cantilever array to model airway smooth muscle hypercontractility in asthma.

Asthma is often characterized by tissue-level mechanical phenotypes that include remodeling of the airway and an increase in airway tightening, driven by the underlying smooth muscle. Existing therapies only provide symptom relief and do not improve the baseline narrowing of the airway or halt progression of the disease. To investigate such targeted therapeutics, there is a need for models that can recapitulate the 3D environment present in this tissue, provide phenotypic readouts of contractility, and be easily integrated into existing assay plate designs and laboratory automation used in drug discovery campaigns.

Changes in surface chemical composition relating to rehydration properties of spray-dried camel milk powder during accelerated storage.

Alterations in surface chemical composition relating to rehydration properties of spray-dried camel milk powders during accelerated storage (11-33% RH, 37 °C) over 18 weeks were investigated. The results showed that the surface of the fresh spray-dried camel milk powder (t = 0) was dominated by lipids (78%), followed by proteins (16%) and lactose (6%). During storage, the surface protein and lactose content decreased while the surface lipid content increased, resulting in an increase in surface hydrophobicity and slight agglomeration of the powder, especially for powder kept at 33% RH.