Background

We develop advanced cell culture systems using micro- and nano-fabrication techniques to provide a better "in vivo-like" cell culture environment to brain cells in a dish. Currently, we have projects available in the following research areas.
Research Interests:
Neuro-Bioengineering; Neurodegenerative diseases and disorders; 3D neuronal tissue culture tools; Nanomaterials; Nanoparticles, Bio-Hydrogels;  Microfluidics; Magnetic microdevices; BioMEMS; Mathematical Modeling; Biophysical Models

Nanomagnetic Force-based cell engineering

The brain is the softest organ in humans and mammalians. During the folding of the human cerebral cortex, neurons situated in the same cell tissue layer, but in different global locations present different cellular morphologies. Although known, this phenomena is hardly addressed in today's cell culture assays. By using magnetic nanoparticles we are mechanically stimulating neurons on-chip, asking whether we can modulated their cell shape, how we can alter calcium signaling and how mechanical forces on neurons might impact the propagation of typical Alzheimer’s disease hallmarks.
  • T. Gahl and A. Kunze, Front. Neurosci., 12:299 (2018) 1-16.
  • A. Kunze, C. Murray, C. Godzich, J. Lin, K. Owsley, A. Tay and D. Di Carlo, Lab Chip, 17 (2017) 842-854.
  • A. Tay, A. Kunze, C. Murray, and D. Di Carlo, ACS Nano, 10 (2016) 2331–2341.
  • A. Kunze, P. Tseng, C. Godzich, C. Murray, A. Caputo, F. E. Schweizer, and D. Di Carlo, ACS Nano, 9 (2015) 3664-3676.

Neurodegenerative diseases on-chip

A major hallmark of Alzheimer's disease are accumulations of hyper-phosphorylated Tau proteins.  In vitro the addition of a phosphatase inhibitor can induce this form of disease states; however, within the same cell culture all cells are exposed to the same inhibitor concentration. Using a microfluidic environment with the ability of gradient formation, we induced co-pathological states of hyper-phosphorylated Tau within the same neural cell population.

We also formed an on chip astrocyte based Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) model in the microfluidic based cell culture platform. The co-pathology here consisted of genetically modified astrocytes (SOD: superoxide dismutase depletion), which were in metabolic contact to healthy cortical neurons.
  • A. Kunze, S. Lengacher, E. Dirren, P. Aebischer, P.J. Magistretti, P. Renaud, Integrative Biology, 5 (2013) 964-975.
  • A. Kunze, R. Meissner, S. Brando, P. Renaud, Biotechnology and Bioengineering, 108 (2011) 2241-2245.
  • A. Kunze, R. Meissner, S. Brando, P. Renaud,  in Proceedings of the 15th International Conference on Miniaturized Systems for Chemistry and Life Sciences (MicroTAS), (2011) 696-698.

Microfluidic-based cell culture platforms (Neurofluidics)

Cell cultures in the dish are important assays in bioscience, yet they do not provide enough complexity to resemble the cellular environment. Most cells are very sensitive to their environmental signals. Thus an alternated environment can easily modify their cellular behavior, leading us in the wrong direction when it comes to develop cell-based therapeutics. Using microtechnology, specifically microchannels cast into biocompatible polymers (microfluidics), we try to build complex cellular environments, where cells are exposed to gradients, three-dimensional tissue-like architecture, or local differences in cell density.
  • A. Kunze, A. Valero, D. Zosso, P. Renaud, PloS One, 6 (2011) e26187.
  • A. Kunze, M. Giugliano, A. Valero, P. Renaud, Biomaterials, 32 (2011) 2088-2098.
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