Microfluidic-Assisted Human Cancer Cells Culturing Platform for Space Biology Applications
Agnieszka Krakos (Podwin),
Joanna Jarosz,
Patrycja Śniadek,
Mateusz Psurski,
Adrianna Graja,
Marcin Białas,
Ewa Oliszewska,
Joanna Wietrzyk,
Rafał Walczak,
Jan Dziuban
Affiliations
Agnieszka Krakos (Podwin)
Department of Microsystems, Faculty of Electronics, Photonics and Microsystems, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, 27 Wybrzeze Wyspianskiego Street, 50-370 Wroclaw, Poland
Joanna Jarosz
Laboratory of Experimental Anticancer Therapy, Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, 12 R. Weigla Street, 53-114 Wroclaw, Poland
Patrycja Śniadek
Department of Microsystems, Faculty of Electronics, Photonics and Microsystems, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, 27 Wybrzeze Wyspianskiego Street, 50-370 Wroclaw, Poland
Mateusz Psurski
Laboratory of Experimental Anticancer Therapy, Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, 12 R. Weigla Street, 53-114 Wroclaw, Poland
Adrianna Graja
Department of Microsystems, Faculty of Electronics, Photonics and Microsystems, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, 27 Wybrzeze Wyspianskiego Street, 50-370 Wroclaw, Poland
Marcin Białas
Department of Microsystems, Faculty of Electronics, Photonics and Microsystems, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, 27 Wybrzeze Wyspianskiego Street, 50-370 Wroclaw, Poland
Ewa Oliszewska
Laboratory of Experimental Anticancer Therapy, Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, 12 R. Weigla Street, 53-114 Wroclaw, Poland
Joanna Wietrzyk
Laboratory of Experimental Anticancer Therapy, Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, 12 R. Weigla Street, 53-114 Wroclaw, Poland
Rafał Walczak
Department of Microsystems, Faculty of Electronics, Photonics and Microsystems, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, 27 Wybrzeze Wyspianskiego Street, 50-370 Wroclaw, Poland
Jan Dziuban
Department of Microsystems, Faculty of Electronics, Photonics and Microsystems, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, 27 Wybrzeze Wyspianskiego Street, 50-370 Wroclaw, Poland
In the paper, the lab-on-chip platform applicable for the long-term cultivation of human cancer cells, as a solution meeting the demands of the CubeSat biological missions, is presented. For the first time, the selected cancer cell lines—UM-UC-3 and RT 112 were cultured on-chip for up to 50 days. The investigation was carried out in stationary conditions (without medium microflow) in ambient temperature and utilizing the microflow perfusion system in the incubation chamber assuring typical cultivation atmosphere (37 °C). All the experiments were performed to imitate the conditions that are provided before the biological mission starts (waiting for the rocket launch) and when the actual experiment is initialized on a CubeSat board in space microgravity. The results of the tests showed appropriate performance of the lab-on-chip platform, especially in the context of material and technological biocompatibility. Cultured cells were characterized by adequate morphology—high attachment rate and visible signs of proliferation in each of the experimental stage. These results are a good basis for further tests of the lab-on-chip platform in both terrestrial and space conditions. At the end of the manuscript, the authors provide some considerations regarding a potential 3-Unit CubeSat biological mission launched with Virgin Orbit company. The lab-on-chip platform was modelled to fit a 2-Unit autonomous laboratory payload.
