Table of Contents
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