Fig. 1: Characterization of a microfluidic human gut-chip model. | Nature Communications

Fig. 1: Characterization of a microfluidic human gut-chip model.

From: Characterization of an engineered live bacterial therapeutic for the treatment of phenylketonuria in a human gut-on-a-chip

Fig. 1

a Schematic representation of two-compartment gut-chip model design. Human enterocyte-like (Caco2-BBE) and goblet-like cells (HT-29 MTX) were co-cultured in the upper channel (gut compartment) and interfaced with microvascular endothelial cells in the lower channel (blood compartment), through a thin, porous, flexible membrane. (b, n = 3 gut-chips) Confocal z-stack micrograph of the human gut-chip model, displaying the fully vascularized endothelial channel (bottom, green—ZO-1) and its interface with the gut epithelial barrier (upper channel, red—ZO-1) post-10 days of maturation. (c, n = 3 gut chips) Continuous dynamic culture (stretch 10% strain, 0.25 Hz and physiological flow = 60 µL/h; 0.0003 dynes/cm2) of the Caco2 intestinal cells leads to spontaneous 3D morphogenesis, producing villus-like projections (120–150 µm, red—phalloidin Alexa-fluor 555, green—ZO-1) within the gut compartment. (d–f, n = 2 gut chips) Micrographs of the crucial gut-vascular interface displaying endothelial tight junctions (d, e; green—ZO-1, blue—DAPI) and gut epithelial tight junctions (f; red—ZO-1, blue—DAPI).

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