Organ-on-Chip

Institute of Microengineering - Distinguished Lecture

Due to the covid-19 restrictions currently in place, the lecture will take place remotely by zoom only.

Zoom Live Stream: https://epfl.zoom.us/j/86899187396

Abstract: Microfluidics technology offers the possibility to create devices in which chemical, mechanical, and physical conditions can be precisely controlled. This makes it possible to create well-defined micro-environments to realize advanced multi-cellular culture systems to investigate tissue and organ function, and to recreate aspects of diseases to understand processes and mechanisms in disease progression. This forms the new field of Organ-on-Chip. In this lecture, I will explain the philosophy of Organ-on-Chip, the opportunities it offers for biomedical research, drug development and personal diagnostics, I will give examples of organ-on-chip technologies and associated fabrication methods developed in recent years, and I will illustrate the development and possibilities of Organ-on-Chip with examples of our own research on cancer research.

Bio: Jaap den Toonder studied at Delft University of Technology where he obtained his MSc in Applied Mathematics (with honors). He received his PhD  (with honors) from the same university on a numerical/theoretical and experimental study of drag reduction in turbulent flows by polymer additives. In 1995, he joined Philips Research Laboratories in Eindhoven, and began working in mechanics of solid materials. He worked on a wide variety of applications, such as ceramic capacitors, optical storage systems, IC low-k materials, RF MEMS, soft electronics, biomedical devices, polymer MEMS, and micro-fluidics. In 2008, he became Chief Technologist, leading the R&D program on (micro-)fluidics, and (starting  2011) materials science and engineering. He was involved in research programs on molecular diagnostics, lab-on-chip, immersion lithography and energy applications. In addition to his job at Philips, Jaap den Toonder was a part-time professor at the TU/e  Materials Technology group between 2004 and 2013.  He has (co-)authored over 100 scientific papers, as well as over 40 patent applications. He is a member of the Editorial Board of Lab on a Chip, Micro-and Nanoelectromechanical Systems, Micromachines, and Biomimetics. Den Toonder is recipient of an ERC Advancd Grant in 2019.