Microfluidic Assessment of Stem Cell-Derived Pancreatic Beta Cells

<p>Contemporary and traditional methods of perifusional analysis of cells, pancreatic β cells in particular, involve the utilization of costly equipment exhibiting difficulties in setup and inflexibilities in operation and application. Microfluidic devices in general are inexpensive, easy to fabricate and are capable of screening multiple microenvironmental conditions, with the potential to generate concentration gradients for the study of biological phenomena such as cell migration. Utilization of these devices for cellular fluorescence imaging is also possible, paving the way for more sophisticated methods of dynamic assessment. Herein, we fabricated a pre-designed microfluidic device from photolithography, containing microwells capable of immobilizing human β islet or stem cell-derived β cells for perifusional analysis with low (2mM) and high (20mM) concentrations of glucose, following subsequent dynamic estimation of insulin produced using the insulin ELISA. The main aim was to compare and contrast insulin secretory behavior of human islet and stem cell-derived β cells with dynamic study of calcium ion activity during insulin exocytosis through fluorescence imaging, using an alternative method of assessment, namely, microfluidics.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science (MS)

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Biomedical Engineering

Year dc:date.available

2019

Author dc:creator

• Srivatsava, Arvind Rajamani

Contributors dc:contributor

• Jeffrey Millman
• Dennis Barbour Jeffrey Millman Amit Pathak

• Microfluidics
• beta cells
• insulin
• calcium
• fluorescence imaging
• GSIS
• Engineering

Statement dc:rights

• I have not registered my thesis with the U.S. Copyright Office, and do not intend to.

Language dc:language

English (en)

Identifier

https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/eng_etds/439

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:openscholarship.wustl.edu:eng_etds-1484