The transparent blood vessel on a chip in use in the laboratory.
In a second study they teamed up with Professor Marcela Bilek from the School of Biomedical Engineering and the School of Physics.
This study, co-led by Professor Marcela Bilek and Professor Anna Waterhouse, developed a new more effective surface modification approach that improves the materials current microchips are made from, making them better for protein and cells to attach to compared to the traditional materials.
Professor Marcela Bilek, also from the Drug Discovery Initiative, the Sydney Nano Institute and the Charles Perkins Centre said:
“Our invention revolutionises the field of microchips, offering better surface properties in the chip compared to traditional devices.
”We’ve made the process of developing a microchip more efficient without compromising results, aiming to reduce the need for animal testing.”
“The new method is more effective at bonding the surface coating more tightly and binding biomolecules for cells to grow on, which is essential to mimic blood flow through the devices.”
The researchers hope that with the findings from the two studies, the microchip developed can be used in the biomedical space for modelling human organs and diseases. This would provide a better understanding of human biology and the outcomes of drug screening.
“We want to further our research by testing devices that simulate complex interactions within human organs, enabling us to replicate more advanced disease stages, such as severe heart disease or advanced cancer,” said Associate Professor Waterhouse.
The teams are now working to incorporate additional types of vascular cells to better mimic human vessels and add in fats to mimic the build-up of cholesterol in blood vessel cells, which is the next stage of heart disease.
They are also developing the patented surface modification technique to apply it to sensors and diagnostics.