Effect of fluid flow shear stress on Mesenchymal Stem Cells(MSC) differentiation using a microfluidic device

Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSC) are multipotent stem cells that are predominantly obtained from the bone marrow. These cells have a high ability to differentiate into a multitude of cell types, which are very attractive for tissue engineering and cell therapy. On the other hand, cellular mechanotransduction (i.e. mechanisms by which cells convert mechanical stimuli into chemical activity) is known to play an important role in stem cells differentiation. The purpose of this project is to investigate the effect of fluid flow shear stress as mechanical stimulus on MSC differentiation through the use of microfluidic systems. In the first part of the project, we propose to use engineering tools to design a microsystem for cell culture and a microfluidic device for flow application while in the second part, student should perform some biological assays such as histology staining, immunostaining and gene expression to verify cell differentiation under different conditions