IBEC Seminar: Aurora Hernandez-Machado
Tuesday, May 7 @ 12:45 pm–1:30 pm
Biomicrofluidic analysis of hematological diseases by means of mathematical biomechanical models and statistical analysis: Cells and hydrogels in microchannels and microrheometers
Aurora Hernandez-Machado, Departament de Fisica de la Materia Condensada, Universitat de Barcelona
We have developed microfluidic devices for precise characterization of hematological diseases. By means of one drop of blood and mathematical models based on biomechanics, we analyze the properties of cells and microrheological properties such as the viscosity of blood. We will present a microrheometer to determine in a fast, chip and sensitive way the viscosity of a drop of blood. Experimental results of malaria infected red blood cells in microchannels with endothelial slits and hydrogels with organ-on-a-chip will be discussed. Sprouting is a fundamental cellular behavior that plays an essential role in vascular development and angiogenesis. Due to its relevance to many aspects of human health, the ability to accurately reproduce cell sprouting is of broad and multidisciplinary interest. We will present microfluidic experiments and compare with theoretical models in which endothelial cells chemotactically migrate into a fibrin-based porous hydrogel which mimics the extracellular matrix. By means of statistical analysis we improve the diagnosis of the hematological diseases. We predict if a sample of blood corresponds to healthy blood or to blood with a hematological disease. We have obtained different performance for the different methods, some of them with very good results and an accuracy of 94%.
