In this work, we presented a novel integrated microfluidic perfusion system to generate multiple parameter fluid flow-induced shear stresses simultaneously and investigated the effects of distinct levels of fluid flow stimulus on the responses of chondrocytes, including the changes of morphology and metabolism. This work described a simple and versatile way to rapidly screen cell responses to fluid flow stimulus from interstitial shear stress level to pathological level, providing multi-condition fluid flow-induced microenvironment in vitro for understanding deeply chondrocyte metabolism, cartilage reconstruction and osteoarthritis etiology.

Microfluidics and Nanofluidics, 2013, 15(6): 763-773

A high efficiency microfluidic-based photocatalytic microreactor using electrospun nanofibrous TiO2 as photocatalyst.

A novel microfluidic-based photocatalytic microreactor was demonstrated by using electrospun nanofibrous TiO2 as photocatalyst and exhibited much higher photocatalytic activity due to the special surface area.

Nanoscale, 2013, 5, 4687-4690

Facile Synthesis of Biomimetic Honeycomb Material with Biological Functionality.

A straightforward microfluidic approach to the synthesis of a honeycomb structure based on the synergistic effects of rapid polymer precipitation, double-emulsion templating, and internal effervescent salt decomposition is described. The delicate honeycomb structure exhibits unique characteristics, with an external nanopore membrane and multiple internal cavities. The biological functionality of the artificial structure is also explored, to test its use as a microcarrier for cell cultures or drug release, indicating this structure's potential for biomedical applications.

Small, 2013, 9(4), 497–503

High throughput generation and trapping of individual agarose microgel using microfluidic approach.

We presented a novel droplet microfluidic system for the generation and trapping individual agarose microgels based on the synergetic effect of surface tension and hydrodynamic forces in microchannels and used it for 3-D cell culture in parallel and measurement of single microgel in real time. This method is simple and stable, which has potential for high-throughput 3-D cell culture and real-time monitoring in parallel and drug screening at cellular level. It can also be extended for applications in the area of materials science and tissue engineering.

Microfluidics and Nanofluidics, 2013, 4, 467-474

Flexible generation of gradient electrospinning nanofibers

We presented a novel and straightforward microfluidic assisted approach to produce electrospinning nanofibers containing gradients in different compositions, nanoparticles and biomolecule concentrations. The controlled nanofibers with incorporated biomolecule gradient were used for guiding the spatial differentiation in mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs).

Langmuir, 2012, 28(26), 10026-10032