Figure 2.

The μPAC device with the microfluidic channel embedded with the PDMS micropost array coated with different patterns of adhesive ECM molecules. (a) The μPAC device (dimensions: 10 mm (l) × 5 mm (w) × 4 mm (h)) connected with external tubing for the fluid supply and control. (b) Cartoon of a single cell plated on the PDMS microposts and the cell culture medium flowing continuously along the microfluidic channel to exert fluid shear stress on the cell. (c) Brightfield microscopic images (top row) and corresponding fluorescence images (bottom row) of the PDMS micropost array coated with different patterns of fluorescence-labeled BSA (left: uniform coating, middle: an array of circles, right: an array of squares). Arrows indicate locations of the microfluidic channel walls. Scale bar, 50 µ m. (d) Immunostaining images of single HUVECs plated on the PDMS micropost arrays coated with different adhesive patterns of fibronectin (left: uniform coating, middle: an array of circles, right: an array of squares). The PDMS microposts were labeled with DiI (red), while HUVECs were stained for the nucleus (blue) and actin microfilaments (green). Scale bar, 50 µm.