Seminar:"Microfluidics & Organs on a Chip" by Prof. Shuichi Takayama

Guest Speaker: Prof. Shuichi Takayama

Organization: University of Michigan

Abstract: There is great need to improve the healthcare system through more efficient development of therapeutics and diagnostics. This presentation will give an overview of efforts in our laboratory to contribute to this need through development of microfluidic systems to control cell microenvironments and to perform high precision biochemical measurements. This presentation will describe microengineered culture systems that aim to recapitulate an aspect of detrimental cell - micro-environment interactions that lead to diseases. Some themes that will be discussed include microfluidic studies of tissue disorganization and extracellular matrix invasion, microscale collagen contraction assays for study of fibrosis, and micro-printed inflammatory biomaterials that modulate immune response. Specific biomedical applications that will be discussed include kidney-on-a-chip, cancer-on-a-chip, organoids, and protein biomarker analysis. The long-term goal is to create miniature patients-on-a-chip for understanding disease mechanisms, testing drugs, performing better cell-based therapies, and validating protein biomarkers. 

Biography: Prof. Shuichi Takayama’s research interests (B.S. & M.S. from the University of Tokyo, Ph.D. from the Scripps Research Institute) started with organic synthesis.  Subsequently he pursued postdoctoral studies in bioengineered microsystems at Harvard University as a Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Fellow.  He is currently Professor at the University of Michigan in the Biomedical Engineering Department and Macromolecular Science and Engineering Program. He is an associate editor of Integrative Biology. Research topics include microfluidic models of the body such as the oviduct, lung, gut, and cancer metastasis.  He also develops aqueous two phase system micropatterning technologies, studies timing and rhythms of cell signaling, constructs self-switching fluidic circuits, and performs nanofluidic single strand chromatin analysis.  Awards and honors include the NSF CAREER award, Pioneers of Miniaturization Prize, and AIMBE Fellow. Disclosures: Co-founder & shareholder PHASIQ, Inc; Some stock options and licensed technology to 3D Biomatrix. Accepted position at Georgia Tech / Emory starting in Fall 2017.