NEUROMUSCULAR SYNAPTOGENESIS IN AN OPEN CHAMBER MICROFLUIDIC DEVICE

This paper reports on a microfluidic device with high spatiotemporal control used as an in vitro model of neuromuscular junction (NMJ) developmental biology. The device is assembled using three poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) layers and consists of micro-trenches for long-term culture of myotubes and an array of 32 identical focal stimulation jets to stimulate the myotubes. The device operates in an open-chamber format, allowing the cells to be cultured using conventional techniques, which significantly improves cellular viability and enhances protein expression for studying neuromuscular junction development.