Publications

The author used a 3-D Life bioinert hydrogel to prepare a semi-permeable barrier in a microfluidic device. The hydrogel barrier allowed molecular diffusion of molecules of 4 kDa to 70 kDa, covering a range of molecular sizes of messenger molecules such as cytokines, which are crucial for T-cell signaling. The system was used to create a static chemical gradient in the T-cell-laden microchannel which led to a directed cell migration of intact T-cells. Thus, the microfluidic system could be used to examine T-cell migration in response to chemical gradients, for example indicating T-cell exhaustion. The author has laid the foundation for a platform that can be used in applications ranging from immunotherapy testing to disease modeling.