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This manuscript describes a new method of production of a microfluidic platform made entirely of enzymatically crosslinked silk fibroin hydrogel, which we call soft microfluidics.
Its unique mechano-chemical properties (elastic, flexible, malleable, transparent) and high structural fidelity, make this platform especially suited for in vitro disease modelling, as demonstrated by reproducing a simple dynamic 3D microenvironment of colorectal cancer and its response to chemotherapeutics.
Mariana R. Carvalho1,2 , Viviana P. Ribeiro1,2, David Caballero1,2, Subhas C. Kundu1,2, Rui L. Reis1,2, Joaquim M. Oliveira1,2*
13B’s Research Group, I3Bs – Research Institute on Biomaterials, Biodegradables and Biomimetics, University of Minho, Headquarters of the European Institute of Excellence on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, AvePark, Parque de Ciência e Tecnologia, Zona Industrial da Gandra, 4805-017 Barco, Guimarães, Portugal;
2ICVS/3B’s - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal.
*Corresponding Author: miguel.oliveira@i3bs.uminho.pt
Biomimetic and soft lab-on-a-chip platform based on enzymatic-crosslinked silk fibroin hydrogel for colorectal tumor model