BEOnChip cell culture chip

一、About the BEOnChip

Beonchip S. L. was founded in 2016 at the University of Zaragoza by Rosa Monge (PhD in Mechanical Engineering), Ignacio Ochoa (PhD in Biology) and Luis Fernandez (PhD in Microtechnology). The collaboration between engineers and biologists is key to designing human-friendly and easy-to-use organ-on-a-chip devices to simulate the body's physiological environment in vitro. At Beonchip, we use materials and microfabrication technologies to create the next generation of in vitro test platforms, enabling in vitro experiments that were previously impossible or could only be performed in vivo. As a result, the cost and time span required to develop new drugs, cosmetics and chemicals is reduced.

二、BEOnChip Cell culture microfluidic chip

BEOnchip Microfluidic chips include standard chips and customized chips

Among them, there are four kinds of microfluidic chips standard for cell culture, namely BE-FLOW, BE-DOUBLEFLOW, BE-TRANSFLOW and BE-GRADIENT

1. BE-flow standard cell culture microfluidic chip

BE-Flow is an easy-to-use device specifically designed for long-term cell culture in a flowing state. It allows for long-term 2D or 3D culture in two separate channels. BE-Flow is compatible with microfluidic pump systems, and since shear stress plays a major role in gene expression, this chip is suitable for vascular research.

The BE-Flow device allows 2D culture on the top and substrate of the channel, and can also Be used for monolayer co-culture of two different cell types to achieve 2D cell culture in the Flow state for studying the 2D culture of circulating tumor cells, immune cells, bacteria, fungi, viruses, etc.

Be-Flow contains 10 individually packaged chips, each of which is sterilized prior to shipment and stored at room temperature dry without direct sunlight (15-25 ° C).

Applications of wBE-Flow microfluidic cell culture chips include vascular studies, mechanical shear stress studies, gap flow on 3D cultures, rolling and adhesion or circulating particle experiments

2. BE-doubleflow cell co-culture microfluidic chip

BE-Doubleflow consists of two perfusible channels connected by a porous membrane. Explore crosstalk between different 2D and 3D cultures in biomimetic environments and control the efficiency of interactions by selecting suitable apertures.

BE-Doubleflow allows for endothelial/epithelial barrier co-culture when functioning in an epithelial culture (kidney, liver, heart, lung, intestine, etc.) in an anoxic environment or in a fluid state. In addition, two perfusable channels provide a suitable environment for studying the effects of circulating particles (bacteria, immune responses, circulating tumor cells).

3. BE-Transflow standard cell culture microfluidic chip

BE-Transflow is a universal cell culture platform. It allows the study of complex culture configurations by connecting culture holes with microfluidic channels through porous membranes. This is a cell culture microfluidic chip for gas-liquid interface (ALI) culture, endothelial/epithelial barrier and crosstalk studies.

BE-Transflow cell culture microfluidic chips perform gas-liquid interface (ALI) experiments on 2D or 3D cultures, automatically changing media for epithelial culture, toxicity testing, absorption testing, and more. Also used to create endothelium-epithelial barriers: 2D or 3D epithelial cell cultures are performed using upper pores to inoculate endothelial cells into the perfusion channels below. The most common applications are the blood-brain barrier (BBB), intestinal tract, skin, lung, etc.

4. BE-gradient cell culture chip

BE-gradient's design applies an electrochemical gradient to a 3D cell culture. BE-gradient is compatible with many types of optical microscopes (inverted phase, confocal, fluorescence, etc.). The Be-Gradient consists of a central chamber for cell culture and two lateral channels connected to the central chamber via three micro-channels. Side channels are used to simulate blood vessels. Adherent 2D culture can be performed not only in the central chamber, but also in the side channel.

Each chip has two separate experimental channels that allow electrochemical gradients to be applied to 3D cell cultures. The cells are first mixed in a liquid hydrogel and then inoculated into a central chamber. After the hydrogel polymerization was completed, media with different concentrations of compounds were injected through lateral channels and the effect was monitored in real time. Examples include studies of cell migration under nutrient, oxygen or drug gradients, angiogenesis studies, etc.

BEOnchip Microfluidic cell culture chip features:

• Easy to use: BE-Flow is compatible with optical microscopes (confocal, fluorescent, etc.) and can Be easily operated under a microscope.
  

• Easy connection: Be-Flow is compatible with microfluidic flow control systems (syringes, peristaltic pumps, pressure control systems, rocker arm systems, etc.).
  

• Non-specific absorption: Unlike other PDMS devices, Be-Flow is made of lipophobic thermoplastic materials and does not present non-specific drug absorption problems, allowing immunochemistry via fluorescence detection.
  

• Impermeability: These materials have extremely low permeability to oxygen and water vapor, and precisely control the gases within the microchannels by controlling their concentration in the medium.
  

• Cell recycling: The cell cultures used in BE-Flow can Be easily recycled for further experiments.