BSc and MSc Thesis Project Opportunities

Next generation in-situ sensor on-a-chip for cell-culture monitoring

Theme: flow / sensor technology

Starting from: January / February 2025

Description: Organ-on-chips (OoCs) are micro-fabricated platforms that replicate the function and structure of human organs, enhancing the quality of in vitro testing, particularly in drug development[1, 2]. Despite the potential, OoC currently relies on fluorescent microscopy analysis, which requires labelling, thereby terminating the experiment. Thus, the need for label-free, continuous real-time analysis of cell viability parameters remains a critical challenge in advancing OoC models[1, 2].
Stimuli-responsive polymers have attracted great scientific interest in the field of chemical and biochemical sensors, due to their ability to change their physical and/or chemical properties in response to stimuli[4, 5]. In diagnostics, the development of stimuli-responsive microgel-based etalon sensors provide an optical response to a variety of stimuli such as temperature, pH and various biomolecules[6]. The microgels are made from pNIPAm (Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)) thermo-responsive polymers, which are co-functionalized during synthesis to be responsive to other stimuli as well (e.g., pH, lactate, glucose and dissolved carbon dioxide (dCO2)).
In this project you will develop an integrated metabolite-sensing platform designed for precise detection and monitoring of key metabolic indicators in cell cultures. The platform will utilize etalon sensors on substrates such as PDMS, glass, or silicon, designed to operate within an incubator environment at 37°C and high humidity. The aim is to integrate these sensors within Bi/ond’s microfluidic chip, and enable real-time, non-invasive monitoring of biological samples on OoC. Resulting in on-site analysis of crucial parameters for applications in tissue engineering, screening, and precision medicine.