The convergence of high-tech emerging technologies into the next stage of organ-on-a-chips

Alessandro Polini; Lorenzo Moroni

doi:10.1016/j.bbiosy.2021.100012

The convergence of high-tech emerging technologies into the next stage of organ-on-a-chips

Biomater Biosyst. 2021 Feb 20:1:100012. doi: 10.1016/j.bbiosy.2021.100012. eCollection 2021 Mar.

Authors

Alessandro Polini¹, Lorenzo Moroni^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ CNR NANOTEC - Institute of Nanotechnology, Campus Ecotekne, via Monteroni, Lecce 73100, Italy.
² Complex Tissue Regeneration, Maastricht University, Universiteitssingel 40, Maastricht, ER 6229, the Netherlands.

Abstract

Recently, organ-on-a-chips (OoCs) have been proposed as highly innovative, truly predictive tools with limitless potential for organ function modelling, drug discovery and testing. By mimicking human key organ functions in vitro, they are proposed as models for studying physiological processes as well as disease-related mechanisms to elucidate pathological pathways and test the safety and efficacy of potential drug candidates, with unprecedented degree of physiological and clinical relevance. Despite the numerous efforts from biology and engineering, we expect that OoC will reach the next level by benefitting from high-tech technologies such as biofabrication, artificial intelligence (AI), robotics and automation.

Keywords: Artificial intelligence; Automation; Biofabrication; Bioprinting; Microfluidics; Microphysiological systems; Organ modelling; Organ-on-a-chips; Robotics.