Highlights•Microfluidic devices allow controlling culture conditions in the microscale.•They
have high potential for automation and parallelization, and facilitate simultaneous …

This review highlights recent trends towards the development of in vitro multicellular systems
with definite architectures, or “organs on chips”. First, the chemical composition and …

The relatively recent development of microfluidic systems with wide-ranging capabilities for
generating realistic 2D or 3D systems with single or multiple cell types has given rise to an …

Microfluidics can provide unique experimental tools to visualize the development of neural
structures within a microscale device, which is followed by guidance of neurite growth in the …

Anisotropic orientation and accurate positioning of neural cells is achieved by patterning
stripes of the extracellular matrix protein laminin on the surface of polystyrene tissue culture …

A deep understanding of the mechanisms behind neurite polarization and axon path-finding
is important for interpreting how the human body guides neurite growth during development …

Precise and quantitative control of extracellular signalling cues using surface-engineered
chips has facilitated various neurobiological assays in vitro. Although the formation of axon …

Compared with preformed anisotropic matrices, an anisotropic matrix that allows users to
alter its properties and structure in situ after synthesis offers the important advantage of …

Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) resonant sensors provide a high degree of
accuracy for measuring the physical properties of chemical and biological samples. These …

MEMS resonant mass sensors can measure the mass of individual cells, though long-term
growth measurements are limited by the movement of cells off the sensor area. Micro …