FIG. 1.

Custom-built air/liquid (A/L) interface culture devices. To culture keratinocytes on basal lamina analogs, a custom-developed A/L interface culture device was developed by our laboratory. (A) Computer-aided design drawing of individual parts of the device including the base and top pieces with posts on the base piece to allow for alignment of the two pieces and initial stability. A screen sits on the base piece where the membrane is placed on. This screen facilitates diffusion of the cell culture medium from below the membrane and A/L interface culture. A silicone o-ring is fit in the base piece to provide a tight seal that creates a well on the surface of the collagen membrane that allows for protein modification and cell seeding. The complete unit fits in a six-well plate. (B) Computer-aided design drawing of device with base and top piece screwed together and (C) shows a photograph of one of the devices with a collagen membrane placed on top of the screen during assembly. Color images available online at www.liebertonline.com/ten.